Copyright 2015 by Elizabeth L. Hamilton All Rights Reserved.

Kindness Lesson 2 of 4

Kindness Happifies (Kindness aggressively and proactively makes ways to happify other people.)

Scripture: “Anxiety in a man's heart weighs it down, But a good word makes it glad.” Proverbs 12:25

Heads Up: While the word “happify” is not used commonly in the U.S., it is a valid English word, and is used in other countries. It means to make someone happy. We use it in this lesson as an attention-getter. Children remember unusual words, and tend to remember the accompanying lessons when such words feature in them. Preparation

• Print on cardstock one copy each of the picture pages. • Print one copy of the age-appropriate activity sheet for each child involved.

Introduction and Review

Say: “Kindness” is our character trait this month. You can show kindness – you can exercise kindness. Hold up the page with the two words: show and exercise. We always use these two words when we talk about character traits. Why? Both words describe something you DO. If you show me something, you DO something. You don’t just feel like it or think about it. You DO it! If you exercise an arm, you DO something. You don’t just feel like it or think about it. You DO it! When you show kindness, you DO ... what? You empathize. You get inside someone else’s skin. You understand how they feel. You understand how they think.

Say: “You’re going to be a detective today. You’re going to find a funny word in our first story. Listen. Tell this story in your own words, changing it to fit your listeners’ culture and ages.

Carlos did not want to go to school. Not today. Not tomorrow. Not ever again. He walked slowly toward the red brick building, watching his new black shoes move. Left foot. Right foot. Left foot. Right foot. Left foot...

“BOO!”

Carlos jumped, and his green backpack fell to the ground with a thud.

“Hey. It’s BABY BOO What’d you bring us for lunch today?” The mean boy grabbed the green backpack. He jabbed a fist into Carlos’ belly. Then he opened the backpack, turned it upside down, and shook. Purple grapes splattered the sidewalk, and he stomped them. He put Carlos’ big turkey sandwich in his own pocket. He handed Carlos’ chocolate cake to a smaller boy. Then the boys danced around him, singing “Baby BOO” and making nasty faces. They ripped his jacket and threw mud on his shoes. Then they ran into the school.

Carlos sat on the ground – looking at his muddy shoes. Small red shoes stopped beside him, but he didn’t look up. The red shoes went away, and it was quiet. Carlos stood up, and went into the school.

At lunchtime, Carlos was very hungry. He sat at a corner table, far from the bullies. He stared at the floor. He was watching a big brown spider crawl away from the corner when – there were the red shoes again.

“Will you play chess with me? I’m not very good, but I’m trying to learn. You can help me. I can’t do anything for you, of course. I can’t pay you to teach me, but maybe I can happify you.”

Carlos looked up. A girl. She held out a game of chess. “Happify?” Carlos raised his eyebrows.

The girl grinned. “Happify. Make you happy. Mama says kindness happifies.” She put the chess board on the table and started putting white plastic chess pieces on it.

Carlos watched her for a minute. Then he began to help. As he helped, his mind was repeating: “Kindness happifies. Kindness happifies. Kindness happifies.” He thought about the bullies. They sure didn’t happify him. They did the opposite! They saddified, if there was such a word. They gloomified. Name-calling bullies! All they ever showed was meanness, not kindness.

The girl sat down. “My name’s Alegria,” she said.

“I’m Carlos.” He didn’t know he was smiling, but he was. “Know what? Carlos means free man, but I’m not free. I’m a slave to those bullies. They wait for me every day. They take my lunch, and I’m always hungry.”

Alegria nodded. “I see it every day. I want to help, but they’d beat me if I tried. I almost told them to stop today, but I was too scared.” She moved a chess piece. “I don’t really know what my name means,” she told Carlos.

Carlos looked at her. “I do. I have a sister named Alegria, and Mother says it means – happiness!”

They both laughed. They talked about bullies for a while. Then they talked about other things, playing chess until time to go back to class.

As they put the game away, Carlos smiled at Alegria. “Your mama was right when she told you ‘kindness happifies’. Your kindness made me happy. I feel hungry like I always do after lunchtime, but I’m happier.”

Alegria grinned. “I’ll ask Mama for an extra burrito tomorrow,” she said. “I’ll ask her what to do about the bullies, too. She has good ideas. See you tomorrow!”

Alegria’s red shoes started to walk away, but then they stopped. She turned around. “I wonder if kindness happifies bullies, Carlos” she said. “I wonder if bullies aren’t really happy. If that’s why they bully and call people names, maybe we could happify them with kindness. Let’s do a social studies project on it, okay? We’ll ask Mr. Trubman tomorrow. See you!” She waved, and hurried off to class. Bible Story: Jesus Makes Mary Happy – John 20:11-18 (We tell only of Mary, although other women also went.)

Jesus made many people happy. He made them happy by healing their sicknesses. He made them happy by casting out demons. He made them happy by feeding them when they were hungry.

Jesus made a woman very happy one day! The woman’s name was Mary. Display illustration of Mary throughout the rest of the story.

Jesus had healed Mary by casting demons from her soon after she met Him. Mary joined women who followed Jesus, buying things He and His disciples needed. Mary listened to Jesus teach, and she believed Him. Mary watched near the cross when Jesus was crucified. Mary prepared spices for the burial of Jesus’ body. Mary woke up very early Sunday morning, took the spices, and hurried to the tomb.

Oh, what a surprise! There was a great big earthquake! An angel came from God, rolled back the huge stone that had covered the tomb’s doorway, and sat on it. The angel was so bright – like lightning – that the guards became like dead men.

Mary was terrified, but the angel told her not to be afraid. He said that Jesus had arisen from the grave. Jesus was alive! The angel showed her where Jesus’ body had been. Then he told Mary to go and tell the disciples.

Mary turned away from the doorway. She was still frightened, and she was crying so much she could hardly see through her tears. Jesus came and met her. “Why are you crying,” He asked – even though He knew.

Mary looked up, but because of her tears, she thought He was just the gardener. “Sir,” Mary said in a sobbing voice, “if you have moved Him, tell me where you laid His body, and I will take Him.”

That’s when Jesus made Mary very happy! In kindness, he said one word: “Mary.”

Immediately, Mary knew that voice. She had heard Him say her name before. It was Jesus! She turned and looked up at Jesus. “Teacher!” Mary said, and she worshipped Jesus, her heart filled with happiness. Her wonderful Lord was alive and well again, just as He had promised!

Jesus didn’t let Mary stay with Him right then. He reminded her that she had an errand to run. She was to go and tell the disciples that Jesus was alive. She was to tell them that Jesus would meet them at the planned place, and they should go there to wait.

Mary started on her errand – but this time, she wasn’t crying. This time her face was filled with happiness instead of sadness. Jesus had shown her kindness by coming and letting her be the first to see that He was alive. Apply the two stories in age-appropriate words.

Were you a good detective? Did you find the funny word that went with kindness in the first story? That’s right. It was happify. What did Alegria say happify means? Yes. It means to make someone happy.

Holding the picture from page 5, read the caption: “Kindness Happifies!” You show kindness when you happify others. Kindness does whatever it can to make others happy.

Remember what we said before our story today. You have to DO something to show kindness. You can’t be a kind person without doing anything. You have to think about other people, and DO things that will happify them. You DO different things for different people.

What might you DO to happify your parents? What might you DO to happify a teacher? What might you DO to happify a boy or girl who got hurt on the playground? What about a classmate who’s alone on the playground?

You show kindness when you happify others.

Jesus set an example for making people happy by exercising kindness toward them. Sometimes Jesus healed people – and that kindness made them happy. Sometimes Jesus cast out demons – and that kindness made them happy. Sometimes Jesus fed big crowds of people when there was no place to buy food, and that kindness made them happy. Our story showed us how Jesus showed kindness, making a very sad, crying woman happy.

Do you remember her name? Hold up the illustration of Mary. Yes, it was Mary. This Mary was not Jesus’ mother, Mary. This was Mary Magdalene.

Jesus made her happy with one word of kindness. That word was ____(her name)____________.

You can often show kindness to others with just a few words that will make them happy. When you sit down to eat what your mother has cooked for dinner, you can show kindness and make her happy by saying two words: “Thank you”. When your father is cleaning the garage, you can show kindness and make him happy by saying three words: “Let me help”.

Kindness makes others happy.

Close by handing out assignment sheets.

Christian Character-Trait-of-the-Month Program Kindness #2 – Ages 3 to 7 Copyright © 2015 by Elizabeth L Hamilton For more information, visit www.character-in-action.com

I show kindness when I happify others.

The boy with the book wants to happify the bully. Help him find the path. Draw it with a pencil first. Then go over it with a red or blue crayon. Turn the paper over and write your Bible memory verse. Learn the verse so you can say it without help.

First and Last Name:

Christian Character-Trait-of-the-Month Program Kindness #2 – Ages 7 and Up Copyright © 2015 by Elizabeth L Hamilton For more information, visit www.character-in-action.com

I show kindness when I happify others.

The girl wants to happify the bully. Help her find the path. Draw it with pencil first. Then go over it with a green or purple crayon. Now turn the page over and write your Bible memory verse 10 times. Learn to say it without looking.

First and Last Name: