sacred story time (hide outside)

Last time, we continued our journey with Pooh deciding to visit his friend Christopher Robin for help.

As we read this week’s passage, I hope you’ll let it stir up what you may be hiding (or hiding from!). Come play, pray, and wonder with me.

So Winnie-the-Pooh went round to his friend Christopher Robin, who lived behind a green door in another part of the forest. "Good morning, Christopher Robin," he said.

"Good morning, Winnie-ther-Pooh," said Christopher Robin.

"I wonder if you've got such a thing as a balloon about you?"

"A balloon?"

"Yes, I just said to myself coming along: 'I wonder if Christopher Robin has such a thing as a balloon about him?' I just said it to myself, thinking of balloons, and wondering."

"What do you want a balloon for?"

Winnie-the-Pooh looked round to see that nobody was listening, put his paw to his mouth, and said in a deep whisper: "Honey!"

"But you don't get honey with balloons!"

"I do," said Pooh.

Well, it just happened that Christopher Robin had been to a party the day before at the house of his friend Piglet, and he had balloons at the party. He had had a big green balloon; and one of Rabbit's relations had had a big blue one, and had left it behind, being really too young to go to a party at all; and so Christopher Robin had brought the green one and the blue one home with him.

"Which one would you like?" He asked Pooh.

He put his head between his paws and thought very carefully.

"It's like this," he said. "When you go after honey with a balloon, the great thing is not to let the bees know you're coming. Now, if you have a green balloon, they might think you were only part of the tree, and not notice you, and, if you have a blue balloon, they might think you were only part of the sky, and not notice you, and the question is: Which is most likely?"

"Wouldn't they notice you underneath the balloon?" Christopher Robin asked.

"They might or they might not," said Winnie-the-Pooh. "You never can tell with bees." He thought for a moment and said: "I shall try to look like a small black cloud. That will deceive them."

"Then you had better have the blue balloon," Christopher Robin said; and so it was decided.

Noticing Prompt

Is there anything in your life that you are trying to keep hidden? Is there something you are trying to hide from? Take a minute to name it out loud. Does it feel too big to hold on your own? Do you need a friend or someone else to help you?

Play Prompt

Hide somewhere outside and observe the nature around you for a few minutes. Try not to move and see if any birds or insects will come close to you. Or bring a paper and pen with you and record the movements of the birds or insects. What does your paper look like when you are done? Is it full of movement?

Imagination Prompt

If you were to disguise yourself as something in nature, what would it be? Would it be a stationary tree? A busy bee? A beautiful flower? Imagine what it would be like to be a tree, bee, or flower. How would you feel? If you are with a child, make it into a game and switch pretend disguises every minute!

Prayer

Omnipresent God, there is nowhere I can hide from you, yet with you, I find a safe place to hide when I need it most. Thank you for the gift of your constant presence and your sheltering grace. Teach me to turn to you in every moment.

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