In this clip, the new kid, Billy, has a bad day, his first day at his new school. He's not accepted. He's late for class. He has to talk in front of everyone. They play a prank on him.
In small groups, discuss these questions:
- Have you ever had a day like Billy? Explain.
- How do you think Billy felt at the end of the day? Explain. How did you feel the last time you had a bad day? Explain.
- What do you do to deal with a bad day? (watch TV, listen to music, pray, ignore it, etc.) Does it make you feel better? Why or why not?
- If you're upset or frustrated, is it better to let it out or just try to ignore it? Why?
- Have you ever been new at school? New at church? New in the neighborhood? How was that for you? How many of you are starting at a new school this fall? What are your feelings about that?
Activity: We stuff balloons into an oversized sweat shirt and pair of sweat pants, then make the person wearing them run around and do exercises. It's difficult. Why? Because the balloons stuffed inside keep us from moving the way we should.
Worries and frustrations are like the balloons. If we stuff them inside and pretend they're not there, they hurt our ability to be at peace with each other, to enjoy our friends, to be positive, to be kind to others...in fact, when we've been hurt or insulted or embarrassed, often we look for someone else to do the same thing to, so we don't have to feel so rotten. This is what bullies do.
Instead, God tells us (1 Peter 5:7) to cast all our cares on him - he cares for us.
1. It's ok to have negative feelings - that's normal to get upset sometimes, or angry, or have hurt feelings.
2. The wrong thing to do is "stuff" them.
3. The right way is to acknowledge when we're hurt, fearful, angry, or whatever, and to give those concerns to God. How? Some people do this by praying - by getting what's on the inside out. Others give it away by journaling - like a prayer, but it's written down, and it's only between you and God. Meditating - in Christianity, meditating is not emptying our mind but filling our mind with thoughts about what is true, and helpful, and reliable (God created me, God is in control of everything, in the midst of rotten days and events, God is working for my good). Solitude - being only with God - and not with TV, computers, homework, toys, other people - reminds us that he's in charge.
Birds were meant to fly. A weight around their neck or a broken wing = a bird is not living like a bird should. You were not meant to be weighed down by worries and disappointments - you were meant to live. Anything that keeps us from having "life to the full" is something God wants to help us handle.
