Copyright 2015 by Elizabeth L. Hamilton All Rights Reserved. Punctuality Preparation Lesson 4 of 4 Punctuality Never Procrastinates (Punctuality habitually refuses to put off things that should be done.) Scripture: Behold, I saw Absalom hanging in an oak. II Samuel 18:10 Print on cardstock one copy each of the illustration pages. Print one copy of the age-appropriate activity sheet(s) for each child involved. Introduction Ask: Who can tell me what punctuality means? Right. Punctuality means being on time, and it s time to learn something new about this character trait. Hold up the pictures from Lessons 1, 2 and 3 as you read the captions and say: You already learned that Punctuality Plans, Punctuality Leaves Extra Time, and Punctuality Watches Time. Hold up the illustration of the word in syllables as you continue: Today, we re going to think about what it means to procrastinate. Say the word carefully with me. (Note: Preschoolers can say this. Give them time.) Say: Listen to our story, and see if you can tell what this word means in the story. Tell this story in your own words, changing it to fit your listeners culture and ages. Quiet! Mr. Takada banged on his desk as he shouted. Take out your history homework. Tommy waved his hand as he called, We re supposed to get our test papers back first. I didn t grade your tests yet, Mr. Takada said. I had to take my wife shopping. Wake up, class. Homework! Now! He started to walk around the room, collecting homework. Tommy poked around inside his backpack for homework. He was wrapping his fingers around a fuzzy yellow tennis ball when Mr. Takada reached his desk. Give me your homework, Thomas. I didn t finish it yet, Tommy said. I had to babysit my little sister. Mr. Takada shouted angrily. Thomas, you always procrastinate! He looked around the class. Thomas isn t the only one here who procrastinates either, he roared. Katie procrastinates, too. He began pointing to others: Lashonda, Marie, Alonza, Joe... The teacher glared. Well, go ahead and procrastinate! Just know this. People who put off things that should be done never succeed! Mr. Takada stormed out of the room then, and Katie jumped to her feet. HE should talk! HE procrastinates all the time! He just said he put off grading our tests to take his wife shopping! Katie sat closest to the door, and always acted as class spy. Now she turned to watch for the teacher. Joe leaped onto his desk. He must think we re dumb, he scoffed. You can only shop til the stores close. Even if he did put off grading tests, he could have done it after the stores closed. He put it off on purpose. Teacher! Katie hissed.
Everyone sat down quickly and history books flew open. Mr. Takada walked to his desk as though nothing had happened and began the class. The rest of the day was quiet and classes soon ended. As Tommy hurried to soccer practice, Katie s voice called after him, Hey Procrastinator! Wait for me! Tommy turned and grinned. What?! he said in a shocked voice. Put off getting to the soccer field? Why, Katie Bird! People who put off things that should be done never succeed! Wonder what happens to them. They become members of Mr. Takada s club, Katie giggled. Let s hurry so we aren t late for soccer. She led the way and they were soon racing around the soccer field. Katie and Tommy would not have giggled if they had seen what Mr. Takada did when school ended. Display cartoon of woman scolding man at desk. Their teacher hurried home and went straight to his home office. He added today s homework papers to a big pile on his desk. He turned on his computer and waited for his favorite game to appear. While he waited, he pulled a bright green book from his desk drawer. In minutes, he was laughing at old elephant jokes. He was laughing so much that he didn t see his wife come into his office. Well! Mrs. Takada said. So that s what you do every day! For two weeks, you ve been saying you had too much work to take me shopping. Work? Look at your desk! She pulled a paper from the bottom of the pile and read the date. This homework was done three weeks ago! she exclaimed. You ve been putting off your work on purpose just to read jokes? She pointed to the computer. You procrastinate to play computer games?! What would you say if a student did that? Mrs. Takada was right, and Mr. Takada knew it, but... The history papers were not graded the next day. Bible Story: II Samuel 13:1 to 20:23 David Procrastinates Regarding Absalom (This took place about 1000 years before Jesus came to Earth.) We read in the Bible about a king who did not show punctuality. This king had more than 20 children, but two of his sons did very bad things when they became young men. The king should have punished them right away as God said, but he did not exercise punctuality in obeying God. The king was David. David s procrastination caused a big war in Israel. King David himself had to run for his life. This is what happened. Amnon (am'-non), David s oldest son, did evil first. Amnon loved his beautiful sister Tamar (tah -mahr), and asked her to come to his house. Tamar came, but he disrespected her and hurt her in an awful way. Then he had his servants shove her out of his house and lock the door. Tamar was frightened. She hurried to the house of their oldest brother, Absalom (ab -sә-lәm). Absalom became very angry at Amnon, and told Tamar to move into his house with him. Then word was sent to the king to tell him what Amnon had done. King David was very angry. He knew God s command about punishing a man who did what Amnon did. That man had to pay the girl s father a lot of money. He also had to marry the girl unless her father wouldn t let him. King David knew God s law, but he did not exercise punctuality in obeying God s law. He procrastinated. Well! Absalom decided that he would punish Amnon and make sure Amnon never did such a thing again! You remember Absalom as the young man who had a lot of long hair. Display illustration of Absalom s hair. Absalom waited until it was time to shear the sheep. Then he invited all of the king s sons, including Amnon, to a shearing party. They rode their mules about 10 miles to the party place. They didn t know that Absalom had talked to his servant before they left. When Amnon starts to get merry with wine, Absalom had said, kill him. The servant agreed, and as soon as Amnon started getting drunk, the servant killed him.
What a commotion! The rest of the king s sons jumped on their mules and rode for their lives! Absalom escaped, too! Another man rode and told the king that Absalom had become a murderer. The king knew God s command about what to do to a murderer. They were to put him to death immediately. King David knew God s law, but he did not exercise punctuality in obeying God s law. He procrastinated. All of the king s sons came home crying that day all except Absalom. Absalom rode almost a hundred miles in the other direction, and stayed away for a long time. Well, Absalom finally came home to Jerusalem, and finally saw his father again. Still, King David did not obey God s command to have the murderer put to death. He still procrastinated. Absalom got braver and braver as he saw he would not be punished. He lost all respect for his father, the king. Absalom decided that he would be king instead of King David. He worked to make people like him. Then he asked the king s permission to go to the city of Hebron. David gave permission. Secretly, Absalom sent spies through all the land. The spies were to tell people, As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then you shall shout, Absalom is king in Hebron! That would make Absalom king in place of David. A messenger heard about it, and ran to tell David, People are taking sides against you with Absalom. This time, King David showed punctuality. He did not procrastinate. He did not put off getting out of Jerusalem. He took all of his wives and children, his servants, and many warriors and hurried away from the city. Absalom and his men chased them, ready to kill every one of them. God saved King David s life, though. Display illustration of Absalom in tree. God caused Absalom s mule to dash under the thick branches of a big oak tree. Absalom s head of thick, long hair caught fast in the oak tree s branches. The mule kept running, ran right out from under Absalom, and left the man hanging by his hair. The soldiers came along, found Absalom hanging there, and killed him. At last, God s law was obeyed. Absalom murderer had paid for his sin of killing Amnon. The procrastinating king did not do it, but it was done. Apply the two stories in age-appropriate words. Holding up the cartoon picture, read the caption: Punctuality Never Procrastinates. You heard the meaning of procrastinate in our stories. Who can tell me what it means? The meaning of procrastinate is to put off things that should be done. You put them off on purpose. Continue to hold up the picture as you say: The teacher put off his work, didn t he? Grading papers is part of a teacher s job. When Mr. Takada procrastinated on grading papers, he put off his homework on purpose so he could play. The teacher did not exercise punctuality. Holding up the illustration of Absalom in the tree, read the caption: Punctuality Never Procrastinates. If King David had exercised punctuality, Absalom would not be in that tree. King David did not want to exercise punctuality in obeying God s law and make Amnon pay for his sin against Tamar. King David did not want to exercise punctuality in obeying God s law and make Absalom die for killing his brother. Think about it! If the king had exercised punctuality, Absalom would not have killed Amnon. If the king had exercised punctuality, there would not have been a war. Warriors would not have been killed. David would not have had to escape from his own son. Next time you don t want to do the homework God gave you or you don t want to do a chore God gave you, think about King David and Absalom. Pointing to the pictures, have listeners read the captions: Punctuality Never Procrastinates. You show punctuality when you never put off things you should do. Close by handing out assignment sheets.
First and Last Name: I Show Punctuality When I Never Put Off Things I Should Do! 1. Please ask for help. 2. Ask an adult to cut out the puzzle pieces on the next page. 3. Put the pieces back together. 4. Make your puzzle picture match the picture below. 5. Carefully paste your finished puzzle on a new piece of paper colored construction paper would be very nice. 6. Write your Bible memory verse on the back of the finished paper. Behold, I saw Absalom hanging in an oak. II Samuel 18:10 7. Write your name on the back, too. Christian Character-Trait-of-the-Month Program Punctuality #4 Ages 3 to 7 Copyright 2015 by Elizabeth L Hamilton For more information, visit www.character-in-action.com
Christian Character-Trait-of-the-Month Program Punctuality #4 Ages 3 to 7 Copyright 2015 by Elizabeth L Hamilton For more information, visit www.character-in-action.com
First and Last Name: I show punctuality when I. 1. Fill in the blank above. 2. Carefully cut out the pieces of the puzzle on the next page. You may ask for help in cutting. 3. Put the puzzle pieces back together (see picture below). 4. When your puzzle is complete, paste it on a new sheet of paper. It would like good on a sheet of colored construction paper. Choose a color that helps the picture look its best. 5. Write your Bible memory verse on the back of the finished paper. Behold, I saw Absalom hanging in an oak. II Samuel 18:10 6. Write your name on the back, too. Christian Character-Trait-of-the-Month Program Copyright 2015 by Elizabeth L Hamilton Punctuality #4 Ages 7 and Up For more information, visit www.character-in-action.com
Christian Character-Trait-of-the-Month Program Copyright 2015 by Elizabeth L Hamilton Punctuality #4 Ages 7 and Up For more information, visit www.character-in-action.com