grace is all we need {symbolic easter lesson for kids}

I had several emails from readers asking about our jars of jelly beans.  It does kind of look like our kids just got a full jar of jelly beans to eat.  But there was a special meaning to them.  So I'll explain...

 





 

 I know I read about this idea somewhere in the last year or so.  I hate when I run across things that I just read about and don't think enough to save them at the time.  And then later I just try to implement them with the details I remember. 

 

About 2 weeks before Easter, I started the kids out on a challenge to fill their jars with jelly beans by doing good things for others, helping around the house, having a good attitude, and anything that they were caught doing that was good.  If they could fill their jars by Easter, they would earn a family date night, one of their favorite things. They were pumped, and they worked so hard. But as it got closer to Easter they got discouraged as they realized how much of their jars still needed to be filled. (this is part of the lesson)  We just kept telling them to keep trying, and even said some prayers asking for God's help.  On Easter morning when they came home, they found their jars filled to the brim with white jelly beans that were not there before, and a note to explain what happened.  (In fact, there were much less colored jelly beans in their jars than what the picture shows.  I had to add more as filler, because I didn't have enough white to fill to the top.)  They were so excited and puzzled at the same time to see their jars filled. 

 

They learned that the white jelly beans stood for God's grace. The note helped explain to them that we can try and try and try to be good, but it's God's grace that fills in all the places that we just can't do it.  We will never be enough, but Jesus is enough all the time.  It was a good reminder that we can't earn eternity with Jesus by doing good things.  Just as they weren't able to earn their family date night on their own.  But because of Easter, heaven is a gift to us that is freely given by God's grace.  And in the end, they earned their family date night anyway. 

 

I'm not sure how much Mason understood.  Probably just some of the basics.  But Taylor really seemed to "get it".  I'm not sure if it's something we can do every year.  I have no idea how it would work if they remember from the year before and just know their jars will be filled.  But I'm sure the lesson can be adapted and used over and over again.  Otherwise, I may just wait a few years for them to forget and then do it again.

 

"But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me."

2 Corinthians 12:9

 *it's really hard to find a lot of white jelly beans.  Buying enough bags of jelly beans to get enough white ones is kind of a waste.  If I do this again, I'll try to find a candy store that maybe sells colored just white jelly beans by the pound, or order online.  If the kids don't actually eat them, they could be saved for other years.