The Grass is Not Always Greener
By Captain Kristy Church
Roseburg, OR Corps – Cascade Division
Note: This is not just a craft, but is a complete program that can be done in Women’s Ministries.
Table Decorations: Using the materials you are going to use for the craft, spread out some of the large popsicle sticks, some empty frames, some twine. Buy some green crinkle paper and spread those out.
Games:
Connect Four – have them play this game and “build” a wall.
Build a fence – provide the ladies with toothpicks and small marshmallows and whoever builds the highest fence wins.
Video go to YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_F4IHlbn8Y
Craft: Build your fence
Supplies Needed:
- Large popsicle sticks 12 sticks per person to make two fences
- Small decorative clips or clothespins
- 2 large paper clips
- Thin twine
- Hot glue sticks
- Hot glue gun
- Personalized pictures (wallet size or smaller)
Directions:
- Put two popsicle sticks horizontally, end to end, across the table. Glue 5 popsicle sticks vertically onto each of the sticks. Eyeball the spacing of the sticks. This will make two separate fences.
- While the fence dries, take the paperclips and lift the small loop up from the large loop to make it 90º angle.
- Take the bent paper clip and glue them (on the backside of the horizontal popsicles) to join the 2 fences. The fence will be able to stand on its own. If you want it to be sturdier, then add more paper clips to the fences.
- Once the glue dries, put your fence upright. Take the twine and drape it in between the vertical sticks (do not pull it too tight).
- Add the decorative clips to the looped twine, facing you.
- You can add pictures, notes, or scripture verses to this fence.
As you can see in the pictures below, I have a fence in my office. These fences were going to be thrown away, but I saw something more… If you happen to find a broken fence, maybe you can bring it to life by adding your blessings on the fences. It’s a constant reminder that my side of the fence is worth embracing.
Devotion: The Grass is Not Always Greener on the Other Side
According to english.stackexchange.com, the origin of the phrase, “the grass is always greener” in the earlier versions was a Latin proverb cited by Erasmus of Rotterdam, “the corne in an other man’s ground semeth ever more fertyll and plentifull than doth our own.” (The corn in another man’s ground seems ever more fertile and plentiful than our own does).
I can often remember many of my friends and family using the phrase, “the grass is always greener on the other side,” and I started using the same phrase when I got older. It’s been a difficult struggle to find the greener grass on my side of the fence for several years. When life throws us lemons, we’re supposed to make lemonade. But what happens when there are no lemon trees on my side of the lawn? I think we get in deep despair; we just can’t see how good we have it. I had my aha moment when I received my calling. During that time, I wasn’t even sure if my grass even had color. During my aha moment, I just felt this peace from God. I always explain my aha moment like those Instagram videos of a person who is colorblind and puts on the sunglasses that shows vivid colors. The smile and the joy you see in them seeing color for the first time is how I felt when my aha moment happened. I just needed to rely on God but how easy is that for some of us? No, not easy at all. It wasn’t easy up until then to see how good I had it.
God had to show me how blessed I was by having me work at The Salvation Army and see those that came in for assistance. They walked in shame even though they were brave to seek help while holding onto the last bit of hope that was left in them. I saw people who were broken, lost, and confused. I wasn’t in their shoes, thankfully, but I was close. My heart ached for them. They were stuck looking at the other side of the fence and the greenest grass you can possibly see. They were stuck unable to see that their grass had color.
I know God aches with us, God cries with us, and God sits alongside each and every one of us, to help us to see that on this side of the fence, we do have the green grass that we are so wanting to find. Don’t look far…. Look down and see.
Have you ever thought that others see your side of the grass and think that yours is greener than theirs? I had no idea that others envied my green grass. What!! I was unhappy; undeserving; unaccepted by most; yet, they envied my grass. Mind blown.
Friends, we all see different colors of grass and that is ok. We were made to have choices and it’s your choice to look down and see the green grass you are standing on. This side of the fence is worth embracing. As it says in Philippians 4:8, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.” It’s time for us to think about such things. Find joy…. find contentment…. find peace…. All these are given to you freely from God.
