The Giving Tree

Connection to Easter

As a Christian mom who used to teach third grade and kindergarten, I want to help my children cultivate curiosity and a love for learning. Even more, I want the Bible to become real to them, not just isolated stories of things that happened a long time ago but stories of real people like them and you and me who chose to obey and follow God in the midst of rising tides and an opposing cultural current.

Our children love reading stories, and I’m so glad they do! So much so, The Giving Tree is one of the first books I added to my classroom library. It's not typically sought after as an Easter story, but I hope to help you see how you can share the good news of the resurrection of Jesus through this secular tale.

As Christian parents, we get “the Sunday stuff,” going to church and praying before meals. Then, before we know it, the week gets going and we’re focused on “the Monday stuff,” like school and playtimes and meals and errands and groceries and practice and living everyday life. How do we connect “the Sunday stuff” with “the Monday stuff”? This is a question ‘Dubs and I have been thinking and praying through for our family. We don’t always get it right, but for us, The Giving Tree is one of the things that would be categorized in “the Monday stuff.” Connecting this to a deeper truth is how we can teach our kids to practice the presence of God every day.

Here are a few thoughts to help prepare you for this intentional pause with your little one(s). I like to use a 3-Connection strategy in the following order:

·      Connect with Me

·      Connect with Another Book/Story I Know

·      Connect with My World / My Reality

After this, I like to lead us through a simple prayer. Whether it’s bedtime or playtime, it’s important to teach our kids we can talk to God whenever, wherever we are. This is an easy way to model this with them.

1. Connect With Me

Before reading The Giving Tree, I like to start with an opening question. This helps the reader (child) prepare to connect their own experiences with the story. This is an important step if the application of the story, usually the moral/lesson, is going to “stick.” Consider asking questions like:

·      Think of a time when someone gave you something kind or special. What was it and how did it make you feel?

·      Now, think of a time when you gave something kind or special to someone else. What was it and how did it make you feel?

2. Read the Story

If you're not familiar with this story or you'd like to read/watch the digital version, you can watch it here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hmTc9rm8-o

I recommend reading the story to your child or if your child is able, read together. Reading together can take on many forms, such as:

·      The child reads independently only pausing when help sounding out/context clues from illustration is needed

·      Help build stamina – child reads one page, adult reads the next, so on.

·      Adult primarily reads but child reads the page(s) they know (especially true if this is a book which has been read before and is familiar to the child)

·      Adult primarily reads and points to each word as he/she reads and allows the child to read certain sight words known, such as “the” or “cat” etc.

·      Adult reads the words while the child enjoys (and “reads”) the pictures.

3. Connect With Another Book/Story I Know

After reading The Giving Tree, it’s time to help the child make a deeper connection – this time to another book or story they know. To help bring a spiritual truth to a secular story, help guide the child to remember biblical stories they know, or ones you can introduce to them. Guiding questions for this title may be similar to the following:

·      Goodness, the tree gave the boy everything he had! What all did he give the boy?

·      Isn't it interesting to hear the tree's response when he gave something important to the boy? Like when he gave his apples or branches and leaves, or later even his trunk, he wasn't sad. The tree was happy. The tree was giving everything, even itself to the boy. Can you help me think of someone in the Bible who was happy to give of themself for another? What did they do?

·      What do you know about Easter? It's fun to celebrate with colorful eggs but the real story of Easter, the reason we have Easter is to celebrate Jesus dying on the cross for our sins. Do you know why Jesus chose to die on the cross? You see, the tree gave everything it had - even its trunk so the man would be happy and so they could spend more time together while they were both living, but Jesus, the Son of God, gave everything - His own life, so we could know real happiness and spend forever with God and Jesus! Let’s read about it in the Bible, recorded in the book of John in chapter 19 and 20. (Text provided below from The Message version as this language is often the most inviting for young minds to comprehend. Depending on how much time you have, you may choose to read this scripture aloud together or provide a summary of this story now and read it during the next story time read aloud you share.)

The Crucifixion They took Jesus away. Carrying his cross, Jesus went out to the place called Skull Hill (the name in Hebrew is Golgotha), where they crucified him, and with him two others, one on each side, Jesus in the middle. Pilate wrote a sign and had it placed on the cross. It read: Jesus the Nazarene, the king of the Jews.

20-21 Many of the Jews read the sign because the place where Jesus was crucified was right next to the city. It was written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek. The Jewish high priests objected. “Don’t write,” they said to Pilate, “‘The King of the Jews.’ Make it, ‘This man said, “I am the King of the Jews.”’”

22 Pilate said, “What I’ve written, I’ve written.”

23-24 When they crucified him, the Roman soldiers took his clothes and divided them up four ways, to each soldier a fourth. But his robe was seamless, a single piece of weaving, so they said to each other, “Let’s not tear it up. Let’s throw dice to see who gets it.” This confirmed the Scripture that said, “They divided up my clothes among them and threw dice for my coat.” (The soldiers validated the Scriptures!)

24-27 While the soldiers were looking after themselves, Jesus’ mother, his aunt, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene stood at the foot of the cross. Jesus saw his mother and the disciple he loved standing near her. He said to his mother, “Woman, here is your son.” Then to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that moment the disciple accepted her as his own mother.

28 Jesus, seeing that everything had been completed so that the Scripture record might also be complete, then said, “I’m thirsty.”

29-30 A jug of sour wine was standing by. Someone put a sponge soaked with the wine on a javelin and lifted it to his mouth. After he took the wine, Jesus said, “It’s done . . . complete.” Bowing his head, he offered up his spirit.

31-34 Then the Jews, since it was the day of Sabbath preparation, and so the bodies wouldn’t stay on the crosses over the Sabbath (it was a high holy day that year), petitioned Pilate that their legs be broken to speed death, and the bodies taken down. So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first man crucified with Jesus, and then the other. When they got to Jesus, they saw that he was already dead, so they didn’t break his legs. One of the soldiers stabbed him in the side with his spear. Blood and water gushed out.

35 The eyewitness to these things has presented an accurate report. He saw it himself and is telling the truth so that you, also, will believe.

36-37 These things that happened confirmed the Scripture, “Not a bone in his body was broken,” and the other Scripture that reads, “They will stare at the one they pierced.”

38 After all this, Joseph of Arimathea (he was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly, because he was intimidated by the Jews) petitioned Pilate to take the body of Jesus. Pilate gave permission. So Joseph came and took the body.

39-42 Nicodemus, who had first come to Jesus at night, came now in broad daylight carrying a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds. They took Jesus’ body and, following the Jewish burial custom, wrapped it in linen with the spices. There was a garden near the place he was crucified, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been placed. So, because it was Sabbath preparation for the Jews and the tomb was convenient, they placed Jesus in it.

Resurrection! 20: 1-2 Early in the morning on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone was moved away from the entrance. She ran at once to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, gasping for breath. “They took the Master from the tomb. We don’t know where they’ve put him.”

3-10 Peter and the other disciple left immediately for the tomb. They ran, neck and neck. The other disciple got to the tomb first, outrunning Peter. Stooping to look in, he saw the pieces of linen cloth lying there, but he didn’t go in. Simon Peter arrived after him, entered the tomb, observed the linen cloths lying there, and the kerchief used to cover his head not lying with the linen cloths but separate, neatly folded by itself. Then the other disciple, the one who had gotten there first, went into the tomb, took one look at the evidence, and believed. No one yet knew from the Scripture that he had to rise from the dead. The disciples then went back home.

11-13 But Mary stood outside the tomb weeping. As she wept, she knelt to look into the tomb and saw two angels sitting there, dressed in white, one at the head, the other at the foot of where Jesus’ body had been laid. They said to her, “Woman, why do you weep?”

13-14 “They took my Master,” she said, “and I don’t know where they put him.” After she said this, she turned away and saw Jesus standing there. But she didn’t recognize him.

15 Jesus spoke to her, “Woman, why do you weep? Who are you looking for?”

She, thinking that he was the gardener, said, “Sir, if you took him, tell me where you put him so I can care for him.”

16 Jesus said, “Mary.”

Turning to face him, she said in Hebrew, “Rabboni!” meaning “Teacher!”

17 Jesus said, “Don’t cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go to my brothers and tell them, ‘I ascend to my Father and your Father, my God and your God.’”

18 Mary Magdalene went, telling the news to the disciples: “I saw the Master!” And she told them everything he said to her.

To Believe 19-20 Later on that day, the disciples had gathered together, but, fearful of the Jews, had locked all the doors in the house. Jesus entered, stood among them, and said, “Peace to you.” Then he showed them his hands and side.

20-21 The disciples, seeing the Master with their own eyes, were awestruck. Jesus repeated his greeting: “Peace to you. Just as the Father sent me, I send you.”

22-23 Then he took a deep breath and breathed into them. “Receive the Holy Spirit,” he said. “If you forgive someone’s sins, they’re gone for good. If you don’t forgive sins, what are you going to do with them?”

24-25 But Thomas, sometimes called the Twin, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples told him, “We saw the Master.”

But he said, “Unless I see the nail holes in his hands, put my finger in the nail holes, and stick my hand in his side, I won’t believe it.”

26 Eight days later, his disciples were again in the room. This time Thomas was with them. Jesus came through the locked doors, stood among them, and said, “Peace to you.”

27 Then he focused his attention on Thomas. “Take your finger and examine my hands. Take your hand and stick it in my side. Don’t be unbelieving. Believe.”

28 Thomas said, “My Master! My God!”

29 Jesus said, “So, you believe because you’ve seen with your own eyes. Even better blessings are in store for those who believe without seeing.”

30-31 Jesus provided far more God-revealing signs than are written down in this book. These are written down so you will believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and in the act of believing, have real and eternal life in the way he personally revealed it.

·      Isn’t it amazing to see God’s power and His unconditional love for us? Jesus didn't know if we would choose to believe in Him and follow His teaching or not, but He hoped all the world would. If he was playing baseball, we'd say He "swung for the fences." He gave us everything He had - His very life. You see, He had never sinned, but He surrendered and died a criminal's death so He could defeat death once and for all. Now, for all who believe in Jesus as the Son of God, we will not die but our souls will live forever with Him and with God. Jesus gave us what the tree could not give, happiness here and in the life to come! But that's not all...

4. Connect with My World/Reality

The tree loved the little boy throughout his life. The tree gave its apples and enjoyed the boy climbing and picking them. The tree gave its branches and leaves and enjoyed helping the man have a house to live in. Then, when the tree gave its trunk so the boy could build a boat and sail away, something changed. "...the tree was happy... but not really." The genuine happiness of giving had faded. Why do you think this happened? Maybe because the boy sailed away and the tree was sad to think it may never see the boy again.

God, too, was sad when sin entered the world. It wasn't how He had designed it. He wanted to live with us and for us to know closeness with our Creator, but sin separated us from God. You see, God is holy. A holy God cannot be with the unholiness of sin. This separation of us from God made Him so sad, so He prepared a rescue plan for us.

From the very beginning, God planned for His one and only Son, Jesus, to come to earth to rescue us. Jesus wasn't trying to restore our happiness, but our holiness! Jesus took our sin upon Himself so that we could be holy before God! How giving and generous! How selfless! How loving!

Because we have been given so much grace through Christ Jesus, we are to extend this grace to others - not when they deserve it but even when they are acting annoying, pesky, and even prickly. Jesus loved us while we were still sinners, so we, too, are to love others all the time - even when they are hard to love.

In our own strength, we could never do this. We might be able to tolerate someone, maybe let them borrow a crayon or sit next to us or play on our soccer team at recess, but to really love them the way Jesus loves us - we need help. Thankfully, Jesus knew this, so He gave us something even more spectacular - the Holy Spirit! The Holy Spirit is living inside each of us when we believe in Jesus and proclaim Him as Lord. The Holy Spirit helps us learn how to love our neighbor and those people in our lives with whom we have a hard time getting along.

Family Memory Verse Challenge:

Mark 12:29-31 (The Message) tells us:

"...love the Lord God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence and energy.’ And here is the second: ‘Love others as well as you love yourself.’ There is no other commandment that ranks with these.”

Tips to make it "stick" -

• Save this as your phone wallpaper or home screen as a reminder to say this together in all your comings and goings this week.

• Print or copy this verse to a post-it note to put on the fridge or a family memo board.

• Write it on a napkin to add to your child's lunchbox.

• Write it together with chalk on the sidewalk one afternoon or draw pictures of the "good" you see God provide for you and your family.
  

Then ask your child(ren): How can we practice loving others, especially those who are harder to love, this week?

5. Pray Together

Let’s pray together.

God, thank you for Your Son, Jesus. Thank you for fun stories like The Giving Tree and how your Holy Spirit can use even these to remind us of your great rescue plan to save us from sin and death through Jesus. Thank you for loving me while I was still a sinner and all those times when I still sin. Help me to love others the way you love me. Specifically, help me to love: ______________. We love you and we honor you with our words and our actions. In Jesus’ name, amen.

May we be strengthened as we soak our minds in the truth of scripture and joy as we remember God's unconditional love for us, giving all of Himself for us. May we experience peace in our relationships with others as we practice loving them and extending grace to them since we have freely received grace from God through Christ, and may we rest in His great, unfathomable love for all of us.

For more examples of children's stories and how to connect "the Sunday stuff" to "the Monday stuff" for your family, check out the children's section at www.CandaceCofer.com

The good life, well it starts with a good day. Then another. Then another. Let's choose to live #TheGoodDay one day at a time.