sacred story time (watch the clouds)

Last time, Pooh had an idea to get honey from the bees. This week is the execution of that plan!

As we read this week’s passage, I hope you’ll let it stir up what plans you had for your life that may have gone in a different direction. Come play, pray, and wonder with me.

They both went out with the blue balloon, and Winnie-the-Pooh went to a very muddy place that he knew of, and rolled and rolled until he was black all over; and then, when the balloon was blown up as big as big, and Christopher Robin and Pooh were both holding on to the string, Christopher Robin let go suddenly, and Pooh Bear floated gracefully up into the sky, and stayed there—level with the top of the tree and about twenty feet away from it.

“Hooray!" Christopher Robin shouted.

"Isn't that fine?" shouted Winnie-the-Pooh down to him. "What do I look like?"

"You look like a Bear holding on to a balloon," Christopher Robin said.

"Not," said Pooh anxiously, "—not like a small black cloud in a blue sky?"

"Not very much."

"Ah, well, perhaps from up here it looks different. And, as I say, you never can tell with bees."

There was no wind to blow him nearer to the tree, so there he stayed. He could see the honey, he could smell the honey, but he couldn't quite reach the honey.

After a little while he called down to Christopher Robin.

"Christopher Robin!" he said in a loud whisper.

"Hallo!"

"I think the bees suspect something!"

"What sort of thing?"

"I don't know. But something tells me that they're suspicious!"

Perhaps they think that you're after their honey."

"It may be that. You never can tell with bees."

There was another little silence, and then he called down again.

"Christopher Robin!"

"Yes?"

"Have you an umbrella in your house?"

"I think so."

"I wish you would bring it out here, and walk up and down with it, and look up at me every now and then, and say 'Tut-tut, it looks like rain.' I think, if you did that, it would help the deception which we are practising on these bees."

Christopher Robin laughed to himself, "Silly old Bear!" but didn't say it aloud because he was so fond of him, and he went home for the umbrella.

Noticing Prompt
Does life ever go in a different direction than you planned? How does that feel? Do you try to correct the course, or do you go with the flow? What would it look like to grow in contentment?

Play Prompt
With a friend or a child, go outside, lay down, and observe the clouds. What shapes do you see? What color are they? What’s inside them? How do they taste? Feel? Do you and your friend see the same things, or something different?

Imagination Prompt
What would you do if you could hold a balloon and float? Would you see how high you could go? What would you like to see from above? What friends might you make up there?

Prayer
Faithful God, sometimes we feel discontent or discouraged, with our lives, ourselves, our friends, and even sometimes with you. But we know that you are the God of good gifts, of friendships and laughter, and we trust that you always know what’s best for us. Help us to grow in contentment and joy, whatever our circumstances.

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