Show-and-tell

John 4:28-30 Then the woman left her water pot beside the well and went back to the village and told everyone, “Come and meet a man who told me everything I ever did! Can this be the Messiah?”So the people came streaming from the village to see him. 

Did you love show-and-tell at school as a child as much as I did? Show-and-tell made Fridays even better! I relished hearing all the stories about all the things that my classmates would bring in to show all of us. And when it was show-and-tell for pets – that was the BEST!

In fifth-grade, I found a box turtle in the woods and brought him (or her?) home. Henry’s new home of an old rusty bucket was perfect in being portable, washable, and inescapable for a box turtle. He seemed to enjoy his diet of fresh-picked lettuce and cabbage garnished with dandelions and other miscellaneous weeds. Henry was well-loved by my neighborhood friends and me, in spite of his pungent and lasting aroma which intensified with his intake of afore-mentioned greens.

So when the day for show-and-tell pets arrived, Henry and I rode the bus to school with much excitement. Even though Henry’s official presentation to the class didn’t come until after lunch, he was already well-known by most of the class earlier in the day since all of the windows weren’t open in our classroom. Needless to say, as the day warmed and Henry ate more of his greens, he was moved to his own special place next to the window in the corner awaiting his presentation at show-and-tell. Henry slept through show-and-tell, even when poked with a stick or fingers amidst the clamor of ooh’s and aah’s from my classmates. 

Now, over forty years later, I still remember the excitement and delight of showing and telling my classmates about what I’d learned about turtles, both from Henry and from reading in books I checked out from the library about turtles. There was something so satisfying and thrilling about sharing what I’d found so others could share in the gift of discovery.

As a Christ-follower, I have opportunity every day to share the gift of discovery with friends. Every day can be show-and-tell about my Jesus and His amazing work in my life. I don’t have to wait for Sunday School, small group, or Bible study to tell all the stories about all the things that God has done and is doing in my life to all who will listen. I can tell friends and family on social media, texts, emails, or snail (or turtle-speed) mail. I can go to my neighbor’s at home or at work with a story and something warm and good-smelling from my kitchen, carried in a nice new clean bucket.

Every day, I can do what the Samaritan woman at the well did after she met Jesus in John 4:28-30. I can invite others to come-and-see my Jesus as I show-and-tell them all He has done for me. Just as Henry was walking-around proof of the wonder that is turtles, those overlooked joys of baby cuddles, beautiful sunrises, blooming gardens, and birthday cupcakes in my life can be walking-around proof of the wonder that is God at work in lives today. God can change my neighbors’, colleagues’, students’, friends’, and family’s lives in ways that I can’t even imagine. Only He can remove the lasting and pungent aroma of sin from our lives and release all of us from living in an unescapable old rusty bucket of hopelessness. Only He can wash us and our lives to be whiter than snow and far cleaner than box-turtle shells.

And then after my friends come-and-see to Jesus for themselves, they can show-and-tell their neighbors’, colleagues’, students’, friends’, and family’s about how our Jesus has changed their lives forever. For with Jesus, any day and every day is always a great day for show-and-tell – especially when it’s a show-and-tell about the BEST Friday ever and what Jesus did for all of us at Calvary!

Psalm 46:8a Come, see the glorious things that our God does

Dear Father,

Thank You that You do glorious things all the time. Thank You that You did the most glorious thing ever in giving Jesus to die for my sin and bring me back to You. Please help me to look for and see the glorious in today. Please help me to show-and-tell others about You and Your great love for all of us. Please help me to keep coming to You to see more of this great love.

In the strong Name of Jesus,

Amen.

written by and copyrighted to Beth Madison, Ph.D., 2021