Sunday Morning With the Kids - Reading an Insightful Story

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Actually, teaching people is fun.
But teaching kids is more exciting.

I had a Sunday school class scheduled for 9 AM. My supervisor had assigned me to the primary class. This section has children between ages 4-12. Our role as teachers is to introduce them to Bible stories, talk about moral lessons, then add some singing and playing just to spice things up.

We have a curriculum that is specially designed to adapt to different learning levels and abilities. And I was to take them on a topic from their manual. However, I opted for another material which contains more inspiring stories.

So, I asked one of the girls to give an opening prayer after which, a boy gave us a short song. Then they sat down on their tiny chairs waiting for me to speak.

Today's story was about a young girl who made a winning decision.

Summary of Miranda's Story

The young girl, Miranda, is a dedicated goalkeeper for the Teal Turbos. Her team had just participated in the last football game of the season and lost. Again!

Miranda feels frustrated. She wants to be part of a winning team.

On arriving home, the coach of the Chili Kickers contacts her. He is impressed by her performance and needs her on this team for the championship game next month.

Miranda's is on cloud nine. Alas! She discovers that the training dates clash with Sunday service. Now, she's torn between missing service or forgoing the game.

She is heartbroken, but decides to turn down the offer.

Back to My Story

One of the kids asked me, “But, teacher, Miranda wanted a chance to play with the winning team. Why did she say ‘No’?”

This question made me think about young people who stick to what they believe in, not because of external pressures, but because it is what they truly want.

Daring to be Different!

I admire young people who stand by their convictions. I am not talking about the ones who are scared of disappointing Mommy, Daddy, or their leaders. I mean people who make decisions because that is what aligns with their values and principles.

They are not swayed by what others think, rather they stay guided by their own convictions. If they choose to graduate from the University as a virgin, they stick to it. Not because their faith mandates it, but because it is a personal decision they wish to uphold. They are not worried whether the world will laugh at their choices. So, they stand firm.

If everyone wants a BlackBerry, but they prefer a Motorola Razr V3, that is what they get. Their colleagues are relocating to the UK, but they choose to remain in Rwanda because they are happier there.

There is nothing wrong with daring to do things other people can't or won't do. In fact, I see this is a sign of strength, especially when you are not making a questionable choices.

If you can resist peer pressure…
If you can hold on to your ideologies and convictions without succumbing to the insatiable desire to sound politically correct…
If you can resist the bandwagon effect…

Then, it's safe to say “Congratulations, you are Miranda!” And Mirandas do great things. ❤️😉

Have you learned anything from Miranda's story? Barney will love to know.

_{Published 13 July 2025}