It's amazing to me how God chooses to teach me things. Sometimes He teaches me things that I have heard 100 times, but when it comes from Him, it changes so much. What changes is me. Today, in my 4th grade classroom, we were learning about theme. I was going to use the book, Bud, Not Buddy, but at the last minute changed my mind and decided to use Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters: An African Folktale. Considering that I was the one teaching, I wasn't expecting to learn a lesson myself.
To give a brief synopsis of the book: Mufaro has two daughters, Manyara (who is mean) and Nyasha (who is sweet and merciful). Manyara tells Nyasha, rather harshly, how she will one day be queen and Nyasha will be her servant. Rather than get upset with Manyara, Nyasha says that if that should happen she would love to be her servant. As the story continues, the King summons all of the beautiful maidens to come so that he can choose a wife. Trying to get there before Nyasha, Manyara steals aways to the king's palace during the night leaving Nyasha behind. On her way, Manyara encounters a little boy who is hungry and asks for something to eat. Manyara scolds the boy asking why would he be asking such a thing of the future queen. Instead of feeding him, she hurries on her way. Further along, she comes across an old woman to tells her not to laugh at the trees when they laugh at her. She laughs at the trees and yet again tells them how she will be queen.
I did say I was going to make it short, right? Nyasha goes to the palace and also meets the little boy. Before having been asked, she offers food to the little boy, noticing that he was hungry. When walking through the forest, she meets the old woman is kind and the trees bow down to her rather than laugh. Upon arriving at the palace, she is met with a screaming Manyara who warns her of the five-headed snake that was waiting to eat her. Nyasha continues on anyway, and is met with a garden snake. The garden snake transforms into the king and tells Nyasha that he was the little boy. He was the old woman. He was the trees. He found favor with Nyasha and made her queen. In the end, Manyara became Nyasha's servant.
When reading this to my class, I almost cried, even though I've read it before. God showed me that we are to be like Nyasha, kind and showing mercy. By giving to those in need, by being kind to those who need a kind word, we are letting Christ's like shine through us. He is all of those people that come across our paths that need help.
Matthew 25:40 says: " The King will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.' " I never want God to tell me that I have been the Manyara. Instead, I want to hear that I have been Nyasha. Sometimes, however, I find myself being more like Manyara than Nyasha. Which one are you?
I already know that you are a Nyasha. Love you!!
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