Have student volunteers attempt to juggle the 6 to 8 soft foam balls or beanbags upon entering your class. Clear a small space so students can juggle and others can watch. Encourage students to see if they are successful jugglers. Most students will be able to juggle a few times or a few balls or beanbags, but it will be difficult for most students to get the balance between tossing and adding more to the juggling process. Let students have fun with this as long as time and interest allow. Regroup.
You may say juggling is a strength of yours, not a weakness, but if that’s true, you are probably in the minority. Unless you have practiced juggling in the past, it is not something that comes easily for most people on the first try.
Jamie Grace is a young female Christian musician, now Grammy award winner, who was discovered on YouTube when she was just 14 years old. That in itself is quite miraculous! What makes Jamie Grace’s story even more interesting is that she was diagnosed with Tourette’s Syndrome at age 11. This disorder causes people to suffer twitches called tics, move their bodies in ways that looks strange to others and even curse or yell out involuntarily at times.
Let’s watch and see how Jamie Grace was able to deal with her weakness and turn it into her strength and a way to help others.
Share this video with your students [1:40]:
HLN Singer on Tourette’s ‘Life Slapped Me in the Face’
Ask:
- What impressed you most about Jamie Grace? (Answers will vary. Some students may notice that Jamie Grace appears completely normal and that she has a beautiful voice and is very poised and professional.)
- When Jamie Grace shows us on this video what her tics look like, how does that make you feel to see her looking or acting this way? (Answers will vary. Some students may say they felt uncomfortable watching her in this uncontrollable state or that they felt sorry for her, etc.)
- Jamie Grace is a Grammy Award nominated Christian singer who also received a Dove Award. How might her “weakness” of Tourette’s Syndrome be used as her “strength” as she moves forward in her musical success? (The video watched shows a website where Jamie Grace features kids who struggle in some way with sickness or other conditions. Jamie Grace likely can relate to those kids because she, herself, struggles with a difficult condition.)
- How does Jamie Grace motivate you to embrace weaknesses you may have? (Answers will vary.)
Today we’ll meet a fearful man named Gideon who was chosen to lead the Israelite troops. Let’s see how this weakness of fear becomes a strength for Gideon as we study his story.
Additional resources:
Tourette’s Syndrome
https://www.webmd.com/brain/tourettes-syndrome#1
