(This illustration is a true story.) While riding with her mother, Dorothy, a kindergartner, saw some poles sticking up from under the ground and asked her mother, "Is that how people in hell breathe?" Surprised by her daughter's question, the mother answered, "I don't think so honey. Why do you ask?"

"Mom," Dorothy asked, "do you believe in hell?" "Yes, honey, I do," her mother replied. "Does everyone believe in hell?" Dorothy inquired. "No." her mother said.

"Well my teacher does!" shouted Dorothy. "She talks about it every day." Curious as to why her daughter's teacher would talk about hell so much, she asked, "What does your teacher say about hell?" Dorothy, raising her arms to imitate her teacher, replied, "Every morning she says, 'In-hell [inhale], ex-hell [exhale]. In-hell, ex-hell.'"

Possible Preaching Angles: (1) Afterlife; Hell—This could serve as a nonthreatening way to introduce a very serious topic. (2) Communication; Words—It also humorously shows how our words often lead to miscommunication, misunderstanding, and then to conflict.