Once a year I receive “Christmas barrels” that includes things I cannot get in SVG.
Actually I’m pretty sure the whole village is excited when those barrels arrive because it brings a new shipment of candy (sweeties) from America to reward children for Bible Club and Church attendance.
Other than the occasional treat, I don’t eat the sweeties myself…except for the secret stash of skittles that nobody knows about :-). Its a lot cheaper to purchase this candy (jolly ranchers, blow pops, fireballs) from the US, and in some cases you cant even get it here!
Having these sweeties is an incredible blessing because I can reward hard work or behavior, and brighten a kids day….but its also a curse
A few months ago I started bringing a treasure box filled with sweeties to Bible Club. At the end whatever child had the most “good tickets” got to pick one of the box. There were days when two got to take (sometimes 3) but usually only one.
Things went fine while the sweetie box was in my sight, but after game-time during water break my back was almost always turned…and sweeties always went missing.
At first it was just one or two which, to be honest wasn’t a serious problem for me. But as time passed the children became more and more greedy. Finally last week a boy ran towards the door with sweeties falling out of his clenched fist (he didn’t get way). When that happened I knew it was time to take the sweetie box home.
Today the sweeties are still given out, but kept inside the deepest pocket of my backpack, which stays on my back at all times.
Sadly we live in a world filled with sweetie thieves who grab whatever they can and run for the door. The answer to this isn’t locking everything away…but finding a better way to show the Love of Christ.
Johnhwilburn.org 