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Can We Draw Today? Can We Draw?

By AS, South Asia

 

They often swarm like bees. Through my open window I hear them zooming up and down the long verandah. When it rains, they take shelter here, laughing and arguing. When the skies clear up, off they go, fighting and adventuring. These are the staff children—for some reason mostly boys. Fathers man offices all along the L-shaped building. Mothers keep house in nearby mud homes. My office doorway borders the boys’ suburb—their battleground, their empire.

A few years ago, I began telling them Bible stories. Partly, I’ll admit, to calm them down and to tone down the yelling and screaming—their complete ignoring of office decorum! To reward their endurance of my halting second-language descriptions of God’s amazing work, I added drawing time.

At first, the South Asian boys thought only perfect pictures would be valued. But as I praised every picture and gave everyone stickers, they craved drawing. Crayons and paper were storing God’s Word in their minds like honey stashed away in beehives.

“Auntie! Can we draw today?” The question buzzes through the window screen. Sometimes I have to say no; sometimes I give fifteen minutes to build their understanding of God. Last month my team was taught to use “storyboards,” summaries which help us know whole stories well. Since storyboards can be drawings or hand motions, yesterday I began adapting my little boys’ story time. I didn’t know God was going to use this to make them storytellers as well.

“Now,” I began, seated on the verandah’s cement floor, “how many days did it take God to create the world?”

“Two!” burst from the semi-circle before me.

“Three!”

“Well…actually six,” I said, “and today we’ll learn them all.”

I drew a simple creation storyboard, and we practiced each day with fun hand motions. They drew their storyboards. One boy excitedly drew two then took my sample drawing. They clamored as usual for the prized stickers, and then off they flew.

Today they made a bee-line straight from school. “Auntie! Can we draw today? Can we draw?” At first I wasn’t sure. I had urgent follow-up to do on fresh information, mother-tongue reading books desperately needed for our village schools. But they were so enthused!

I compromised; if they could all do the hand motions on their own, I would give out stickers.

“But some weren’t here yesterday!” the boys cried. Therefore, I decided that those who knew it would have to teach the new ones. Their black eyes searched my office for yesterday’s drawing. But much to their dismay my sample was gone.

“Here,” I said, “look in the Bible, the first chapter. It’s all right here.”

Skinny shoulders hunkered over the Word. Yesterday’s boys showed the others. They all drew creation. They all recited the six days—hand motions, grins, and voices in unison. And, yes, they all got stickers!

Today, God graciously nudged these children and me into the same ministry—to grab the opportunity, to tell God’s story simply, and to tell His stories memorably. We need to tell them so those who hear will spontaneously and confidently retell them too. No matter who they are!