One of the joys of being a father is being able to hang out with your kids. Several times when my boys were young, I volunteered to be a camp counselor at the camp that they attended. On one occasion, we got a warning from the Camp Director. "There have been entirely too many foot injuries out there. Kids are running around without shoes and then stepping on things and hurting themselves. You need to have your kids have shoes on at all times." Now, when he said "all times," I assumed he didn't mean in the pool or in bed but everywhere else. Being a person who has studied human behavior all my life, I devised a plan to get the kids in my cabin to keep their shoes on.
The first nite, as we were sitting around in the cabin, we each introduced ourselves and sat down where I explained the way that camp was gonna go that week. As we were close to getting in bed, I said, "Oh, you guys need to keep your shoes on. There are toenail suckin' frogs in this area." Then I had us all get in our bunk beds and as I turned down the latern, I said a prayer. I prayed for each boy there, their families and how each would come to know Jesus better during this week of fun. As I closed the prayer, I said, "Oh, God, by the way, I pray that you would keep each of us safe from the toenail suckin' frogs that are around here. In Jesus' name, Amen."
If you have ever been a camp counselor of boys, you know that they don't drop off to sleep right away. Well, there is always one boy who does, and he always happens to be the boy who snores the loudest....
But, anyway, as we lay there in the dark, listening to the sounds of the various animals and rustling along the ground, after about 10 minutes, one boy asked the question that I hoped someone would ask. "What's a toenail suckin' frog?"
I said, "Oh, those guys are kinda dangerous, you need to keep your shoes on."
One of the boys asked, "Even when we're in bed?"
"I'm gonna risk it when I'm in bed but I'm gonna keep my shoes on everyplace else except the swimming pool. Those frogs don't care for chlorine."
"They won't get you in your bed?"
"Nope. Well... I did hear about three years ago about this one that got this one boy's pinkie toenail while he slept but that's the only one I've heard about. Those toenail suckin' frogs are just out mainly during the day. Unless they're REALLY hungry."
"What do these frogs do?"
"Well, they latch on to your toe and don't let go until they've swallowed your toenail."
"Does it hurt?"
"Not too bad. It just kinda aches a little. I won't hurt you too bad. If he gets on your toe, just let him finish his business and then he will jump off and leave you alone. They only eat one toenail a day."
"Well, if he gets on my toe, I'm gonna take a stick and beat on him until he lets go."
I said, "oooh, you don't wanna do that. That just makes them mad. You don't want a mad toenail suckin' frog latched onto your toe. It would be better to just kinda pretend he's not there and let him eat your toenail and then he will leave you alone."
As these questions, kept coming, I could tell each of the boys were drifting off to sleep one by one.
When I woke them up the next morning, they immediately started talking about toenail suckin' frogs. Each of them put their shoes on. No reminders on my part.
Tomorrow, we will have part two...
The first nite, as we were sitting around in the cabin, we each introduced ourselves and sat down where I explained the way that camp was gonna go that week. As we were close to getting in bed, I said, "Oh, you guys need to keep your shoes on. There are toenail suckin' frogs in this area." Then I had us all get in our bunk beds and as I turned down the latern, I said a prayer. I prayed for each boy there, their families and how each would come to know Jesus better during this week of fun. As I closed the prayer, I said, "Oh, God, by the way, I pray that you would keep each of us safe from the toenail suckin' frogs that are around here. In Jesus' name, Amen."
If you have ever been a camp counselor of boys, you know that they don't drop off to sleep right away. Well, there is always one boy who does, and he always happens to be the boy who snores the loudest....
But, anyway, as we lay there in the dark, listening to the sounds of the various animals and rustling along the ground, after about 10 minutes, one boy asked the question that I hoped someone would ask. "What's a toenail suckin' frog?"
I said, "Oh, those guys are kinda dangerous, you need to keep your shoes on."
One of the boys asked, "Even when we're in bed?"
"I'm gonna risk it when I'm in bed but I'm gonna keep my shoes on everyplace else except the swimming pool. Those frogs don't care for chlorine."
"They won't get you in your bed?"
"Nope. Well... I did hear about three years ago about this one that got this one boy's pinkie toenail while he slept but that's the only one I've heard about. Those toenail suckin' frogs are just out mainly during the day. Unless they're REALLY hungry."
"What do these frogs do?"
"Well, they latch on to your toe and don't let go until they've swallowed your toenail."
"Does it hurt?"
"Not too bad. It just kinda aches a little. I won't hurt you too bad. If he gets on your toe, just let him finish his business and then he will jump off and leave you alone. They only eat one toenail a day."
"Well, if he gets on my toe, I'm gonna take a stick and beat on him until he lets go."
I said, "oooh, you don't wanna do that. That just makes them mad. You don't want a mad toenail suckin' frog latched onto your toe. It would be better to just kinda pretend he's not there and let him eat your toenail and then he will leave you alone."
As these questions, kept coming, I could tell each of the boys were drifting off to sleep one by one.
When I woke them up the next morning, they immediately started talking about toenail suckin' frogs. Each of them put their shoes on. No reminders on my part.
Tomorrow, we will have part two...
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