Windmills, Spring and a Giant's Garden

Last Sunday we heard the story of the Giant's Garden. 

The giant was so selfish, he didn't let the children play in his garden. He built a big wall around it to keep them out and put up a sign, 'No Trespassers'. The trees and flowers and birds missed the children so much. Spring forgot the giant's garden, the flowers didn't feel like blooming, the trees didn't blossom and the birds disappeared. The giant's garden became wintry, grey, cold and lonely. The giant was miserable.

When the children crept back into the garden through a hole in the wall, Spring returned. The trees and flowers bloomed and blossomed and the birds sang. The giant's heart melted when he noticed a small child who couldn't reach to climb a tree, and he went out into the garden and gently lifted him up into the branches. The child threw his arms around the giant's neck and kissed him. The giant tore down the wall and the sign, and welcomed the children back into the garden.

We talked about opening our hearts to others, welcoming people into our lives and sharing God's love and kindness.

We made windmills (in the giant's garden, the flowers "bloomed like stars") and created a tree on canvas, which we added our thumbprints to. We are all different, each one of us is special and unique, loved by God and has a place in the church family and in the world. We need to remember to welcome others into our "garden" and share what we can.