Bubble gum

It has been over a year since I’ve posted on my blog.  Shamey-shamey.  I know what happens to blogs that don’t have fresh posts – people stop reading them & forget about them.  Well, here is my attempt to resurrect my blog and put my two cents out for all to read.

This past weekend I had the privilege of speaking to the middle & high school students at our church.  I had a great idea of using bubble gum for an illustration. I am a big fan of gum.  As in it’s a bad day in my world if I have run out of gum & don’t have time to run out to buy more. I thought what better way to make a point than with something I love.

So, before the 1st service I stuck a piece of double bubble in my mouth & began chewing, because you have to chew gum for a while before it will make a decent bubble.  By the time I got to my point, I had chewed the gum too long and it was stiff – making a pathetically small bubble.  So, for the 2nd service I thought I would be smart, wait just until I got up to speak to put the gum in my mouth & I would change to Hubba Bubba to make a huge bubble.  I felt like a 10 year old kid with a huge wad of gum in my mouth, trying to speak.  I was spitting everywhere; thankfully no one was sitting close enough to get sprayed.  I was convinced I was going to have slobber run down my face from this gum.

So, there I was spitting & slobbering as I’m trying to speak – wouldn’t my public speaking teacher be so proud.  I was a mess.

What point was I trying to make? Well, I started with the rules of gum with some eager volunteers – don’t mix flavors (giving one of them 2 flavors that don’t go well together), don’t eat something with gum in your mouth (I gave another a piece of gum & a cookie), and you have to chew gum a while before blowing a bubble.  I then gave each of my volunteers a fresh piece of gum & asked them to blow bubbles in the shape of a square or a triangle.  The point was that bubble gum was designed to blow bubbles, nice big round bubble.  Just as gum has its own design, each have a unique plan that God has for our lives.

Note to self: when preparing to speak, be sure to do a trial run of all illustrations & examples before-hand.  Especially if it involves gum.