THE BIG, THE FANTASTIC, THE WORLD THAT GOD MADE

Tired of Confederate statues?
While there's still much to learn and discuss about them and their functions good and bad (just learned neat stuff today) ... sometimes you need a break.

So, for something completely different, here is a children's creation story I've been working on.  In the course of my duties at St. James' Nursery School, I read  A LOT of bible stories to the children.  Sometimes, I get tired of them.  The selection is not always the most age appropriate (my way of thinking), and often they way they're told leaves me uninspired.  Frankly, what I would prefer is if  Dr. Seuss had made a children's bible.  He didn't, and I'm not him, but after years of reading out loud to the kids, I decided to take inspiration from him and start re-writing bible stories to read to the kids.

Here, then, is the first, the Creation.

THE BIG, THE FANTASTIC, 

THE WORLD THAT GOD MADE

Welcome my friend 

to the world all around you

It’s big and fantastic - 

and I’m glad that I found you

To tell you how great 

and amazing it is

It is so amazing, 

and awesome, gee whiz!

To start, it was empty, 

as empty as nothing

Just darkness and darkness 

and darkness for stuffing

But God said, “I think 

that it’s time I should make

A world full of life, 

That is real and not fake.”

God thought up the world - 

but thought something was wrong

So God thought some more, 

and thought hard and thought long

And finally thought, 

“I know just what is right.”

And with that one thought, 

God said, “Let there be light.”

(The Light was called Day, 

and the Dark was called Night)

Next came the sky 

with fresh air you can breathe

There was water above it

 and water beneath

But was that enough?  

Not for God, no siree!

Just water and sky?  

What fun would that be?

“Let’s make some land,” 

said our God, “to go with ‘em.”

And thought, “This is good! 

Now I’m getting a rhythm.

“So let’s make some more, 

let’s make plants, let’s make trees

Let’s make plenty of vegetables - 

the kid’s will love these!”

Now creation was growing 

with more to come soon

Like lights in the sky 

called the Sun and the Moon 

On the fifth day or so 

(whatever that means)

God said, “I want more; 

let’s bring life to the scene

Let the waters have fishes 

and whales, even squid

Let skies have some birds that can fly” 

And they did!

And this too was good, 

very good, I must say

But still there was work - 

for at least one more day

To make up the tigers 

and elephants, too

And otters and beavers, 

and things that can chew

And then, let's make more - 

I can think of a few

“At last I’ll make people, 

I'll make girls, I'll make boys

I'll make children who bring me 

all manner of joys”

And when God was finished, 

God said, “This is good.

This world that I made 

looks just as it should

“It’s got all that you need 

to live a good life

I hope all my children 

can live without strife.”

And when God was done - 

good and done with creation

God said, “Now it’s time 

for a little vacation.

I’ll just take a day 

to sit down and to rest

But I do love this world - 

in fact, it’s the best.”

So my friend, look around 

at the earth - ain’t it great!

God made it for you, 

and God made it first rate

So take care of your world - 

it’s never too late.