Gesture #1: Two Finger Peace Sign - Small "v" virtue

Explain that everyday virtue begins for all of us as “small-v” virtue. Have the child hold up two fingers as a peace sign. We imagine small-v virtue is where a child begins to work hard to have thoughts and actions of goodness. This early habit - to choose goodness in thought, word, and action - often has peacefulness as a result. So the "peace sign" fits. This step in the process can be exhausting, however, because we are doing all the good things with our own strength. The next step can help. The Holy Spirit invites us to increase our power through God’s strength.

Gesture #2: Flat Folded Praying Hands - Getting Powered Up

All of us need God’s grace to go beyond working hard to build good habits on our own. How do we get God’s grace? Prayer. Invite the child to use praying hands in the next step in virtue SUPER power training. Show how to fold hands with flat palms, and say some prayers with the child. Sincerely ask the Holy Spirit to fill both you and the child with God’s strength. God always responds.

This prayer can open your souls to a flow of extra-special grace and power. Next, take a moment to pray also for the needs of others. When a child asks for blessings, for someone else, and not for just him or herself, that builds extra virtue-strength! 

Gesture #3: Open Palms - The start of BIG V Virtue

Prayer opens us to be filled with God’s grace. For the Virtue Heroes, we call it: Grace Force, or G-Force, in our soul. It’s the force to propel us forward spiritually, and builds strength in our moral muscles. Allow the praying hands gesture to open up and form a “BIG-V”. That shows how G-force grace opens up our souls to give and receive the power of God. The BIG-V shows we are open to let God fill us up with His goodness. The G-force is what turns our “small-v” virtues into BIG-V VIRTUES SUPER-Powers. The first three steps in the process can be repeated with the child over a period of time, before they see results. 1) Decide to do virtue - peace sign. 2) Pray for grace (G-force) - praying hands. 3 ) Notice how God's grace is building our virtue strength - open bigger V hands.

One more step is left in our virtue superpower gesture training.

Gesture #4: Arms UP! Super Size V Virtue

We can tell when everyday virtue is becoming a “superpower” in us when three things happen. First: we don’t have to work so hard to do the Everyday Virtues. It's getting a little easier to choose to think and do the them. Second: we notice that this power habit is beyond our own abilities. Virtue is becoming more natural to us, like muscle-memory. Third: we feel the genuine JOY of knowing and exercising virtue in spite of whatever circumstances we face. We smile with gratitude because God’s strength is enabling us to become a virtue-hero.  

The gesture of both arms reaching for heaven to make the biggest “V” of all is to celebrate and thank God for building everyday virtue SUPER powers in us!

Enjoy special recommendations Just For Kids to READ, WATCH, and LISTEN -- titles that energize virtue in little kids. 

😁 See the links below!