Sticks!

"Stiiiiiiiiiiiiiicks!"

My students had just run outside for snack recess, called my name and announced their sweet find: sticks.

Who needs playground equipment when you have sticks? (We don't actually have playground equipment, but I have an arsenal of stories that prove it might just be a bit overrated...)

In any case, the older students and other teachers --who are used to the school's creative blacktop games--still looked at me like I might be a bit out of my tree... 

Which reminds me of a paper story...

I accidentally photocopied the kids' worksheets double-sided so that the same information was on both sides. I told them that the copier machine and I weren't "on the same page."

I explained the pun for my own amusement. After two minutes I think one kid might have gotten it, but multiple kids laughed--which was delightful for everyone.

Back to the sticks...

We are making a fire in my classroom for Lent. When I explained that to an eighth grader on the "playground," she used one of her new vocabulary words I'm sure: "Your class will be arrested for arson," she said.

I hope she doesn't rat us out...

We're really doing it to symbolize the fire we're building in our hearts, which by Eastertime will hopefully blaze like the big Easter vigil bonfires outside of Catholic churches.

We talked about the Paschal candle, which is used in Baptism, and how everyone lights their little taper candles from the big, new Easter candle to illumine the dark church at the Easter vigil. We visibly witness that Christ is the light of the world.

My class started building our fire last week when the children began covering the bottom of a boot shoebox with glued-on crumpled newspaper for every sacrifice they did. Next week we're moving on to the harder stuff, perseverance through Lent--and were using sticks.

The children know that the sticks have to be crisscrossed to allow airflow through the fire so it can grow.

Lord, this is a meditation for me too. Help me to be patient as You teach me to flow with Your Holy Spirit this Lent. Help me to breathe with perseverance and peace as you rearrange the sticks in my heart so You can really set me ablaze with the freedom of your love. Thank you for the inferno of Your Sacred Heart, through Mary. Amen.