“The Big Blue Egg” Illustrated by Janet Samuel, Written by Kath Smith, Paper-engineering by Brian Robertson

Yesterday I read “The Big Blue Egg” to the kindergarten classes.  It’s a pop-up picture book.  Who doesn’t love a pop-up book?!? I love ’em!  No doubt I am a kid at heart, but what is even better, for me, than just a pop-up book, is a pop-up with a good lesson.

In the book, “Little Black Hen walked slowly around the big blue thing.  She sniffed it, tapped it with her beak, and listened. ‘Well, it’s round like an egg, and sounds like an egg, and it looks like an egg,’ she said. ‘So it must be an egg…'”  Later in the story the big blue things “wobbles” out of the nest and bounces toward the pond.  The big blue egg is saved by Sheeba the Sheepdog.   The story ends with the puppies playing with their favorite bouncy ball. Boing!

The lesson to me was that even though the big blue thing appeared to be an egg.  How it acted gave away its true identity.  Even though the “egg” was loved and cared for greatly, the true identity of the ball brought greater joy.

The translation into Texan is, “If it walks like a duck, talks like a duck, and looks like a duck, then it must be a duck.”    Bear with my home grown analogies, simply put, how we act tells a bigger story.

Yesterday, I met a lady that I dearly love in the post office.  I turned around in a slightly confused state. I didn’t do what I do every time that I see her.  I didn’t immediately give her a huge hug and tell her how glad I was to see her.  Instead I looked around dazed and confused which I momentarily was.  I didn’t realize that there was a line behind me.  I didn’t know who was next.  I was thinking about what my next task was.  I wasn’t aware of who was right in front of me.

She graciously said, “I know you are busy.”  I reached for her and gave her a huge hug as she kissed my cheek.  I told her, “But I am never too busy for you.”  Even though I didn’t do it perfectly right, (I should have asked how her grandson was.  I should have asked about her husband.  I should have told her how much I missed her.)  I am sure she knew that she is a treasure to me.

Easter is about Christ.  It is about living a Christ-like example.  It isn’t just about what we see on the outside.  It is about taking the time to treasure His creation.

“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.” Ephesians 4:2

“A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.  The tongue of the wise makes knowledge acceptable, but the mouth of fools spouts folly.  The eyes of the Lord are in every place, watching the evil and the good…” Proverbs 15:1-3