Science Fair

A cruise around the school cafeteria sported some pretty interesting displays this afternoon. No, it wasn't hamburger helper or tater tots surprise, although that may have been served earlier in the day. What I speak of, is a jumble of innovation and creativity.

As I looked over each project tonight, I felt proud of my son. He and his friend Ben had been working diligently to get their car magnets to float. I was very impressed with the end result. They are hoping to win some kind of a prize. This being their last science fair project (of three) that would really top things off nicely.

Two years ago, Matthew, Ben and Elizabeth came up with a bottle rocket experiment. That was more than we all bargained for. Two liter coke bottles, and a home-made pump (made by one of the fathers) sent these rockets into the air at mystifying speed. There was a lot of material needed for that project, and there really wasn't much "weight" to the theory. But it was a lot of fun anyway.

Then last year, Matthew and a kid named Brian came up with the idea of proving whether or not brain freezes really happen. I don't know if they got the best score on that one, but I will say that our booth was the most popular. Ice cream for everyone! My wrist got pretty tired scooping, but it was great serving so many eager participants.

As I strolled around each project tonight, I felt a little twinge of sadness. This would be his last project before moving on to Jr. High. Every thought of that brings a panicked feeling to my heart. My kids are just growing up so fast, and I am powerless to stop it. I want to linger here, in grade school just a little longer.

From "what makes up our dreams" to "home run statistics" - all of the kids were really creative this year. It was neat to see what they all came up with. The different levels of excellence was something too. In other words, some had been worked on for weeks, while there were a couple of projects that you could tell were done the night before.

So what kind of project are you working on in this life? Does it have to do with the growth of a plant, or the acidity of a can of soda? Are you spending an adequate amount of time on God's assignment, or are you planning on cramming everything in last minute?

Another neat way to look at things, is to think about how each of us might be kind of like God's science fair project. We all have a unique set of components, our own set of questions to answer - and the conclusion is really up to us. Are we living a life God can be proud of?

Whether you spend a few short minutes, or a lifetime in His throne room - having a heart that is surrendered to Christ . . . will ALWAYS guarantee a prize.