Making Choices: Life is Like Acorns is a short story and Bible study for children 5-10 years old. It aims to teach them things are not always what they appear to be be. They certainly are not for Peepsy, the baby squirrel, who goes hunting for food with Mumsy.

BY CHERYL ROGERS
It was a crisp, fall day and Mumsy the mama squirrel and her baby Peepsy scampered down the grand oak tree where they made their home. Peepsy was getting older and it was time for him to help hunt for food.

“I want to teach you how to find the best acorns,” Mumsy said. “ You go ahead and find six.”

Peepsy quickly grabbed six acorns scattered on the ground near the old oak tree in the forest.

“Here, ma,” he screamed, as he dropped the acorns -- one by one -- at her feet.

“Well, let’s see,” said Mumsy, reaching slowly to the ground for the first acorn.

It looked perfect on Peepsy’s little pile, but -- when she turned it over -- it was only half a shell.

“Look,” she told her young one, “It’s empty inside. There’s no meat here!”

She grabbed a second one.

It was a bit weathered, but it was in one piece. She cracked it with her teeth, then spat it on the ground.

“Yuck,” she said, “this one is rotten on the inside. Even though it looks okay on the outside, it is rotten -- all the way through.”

She smiled at Peepsy.

“That’s okay, though. We’ve got plenty more.”

She took the third acorn from the small pile at her feet. It was cracked, and bugs already had made a meal off most of the meat!

“This one is picked over,” she told her baby gently. “There’s not much left for you.”

The fourth one looked the most promising. It was fresh looking. She snatched it eagerly, only to throw it disappointedly onto the ground.

Another animal had been there already, cracked it, and taken the meat.

The fifth shell also was fresh looking.

She cracked it with her teeth, inspected it, and offered her baby the meat.

“This one looks good,” she said, holding the acorn for Peepsy to examine. Then both she and Peepsy had a small bite.

“Yummy,” her little one said.

Optimistic, Mumsy grabbed the last acorn at her feet.

But again, the top half of the shell looked perfect. When she turned it over, the other half was missing. The meat was gone.

“You see, Peepsy,” she said, “things are not always what they seem to be.”


BIBLE FOUNDATION FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION:

“...man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7

“Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.” John 7: 24

“Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.” 1 Thessalonians 5:21

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

Can you relate Peepsy’s lesson to you own life? How?

Have you ever been disappointed to find someone or something was not as you expected? Maybe it was a new friend, whose family lived in a big house, but who didn’t treat you right? Or maybe it was a new flashy-looking toy that broke the first time you played with it? Explain.

Have you ever been surprised at how tasty a food is, even though it looked bad? Have you found out someone you thought was strange or different was really nice when you got to know them?

Have you ever done anything you were told not to do, just because it looked fun? How did you feel about it later? Did you regret it? What did you learn?