Children’s Story

Children’s Story – Do You Trust Jesus?

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John and Charles Wesley were brothers and both, after being ordained to the ministry, were sent on a mission to America. On board the ship was a company of Moravians. A violent storm was encountered on the passage one day which threatened the ship. Worship was being conducted at the time and John Wesley was brought face to face with death. He was afraid, and felt that he had not the assurance of peace with God. The Germans, on the contrary, manifested a calmness and trust to which he was a stranger.

“ ‘I had long before,’ he says, ‘observed the great seriousness of their behavior. Of their humility they had given continual proof, by performing those servile offices for the other passengers which none of the English would undertake; for which they desired and would receive no pay, saying, it was good for their proud hearts, and their loving Saviour had done more for them. And every day had given them occasion of showing a meekness which no injury could move. If they were pushed, struck, or thrown down, they rose again and went away; but no complaint was found in their mouth. There was now an opportunity of trying whether they were delivered from the spirit of fear, as well as from that of pride, anger, and revenge. In the midst of the psalm wherewith their service began, the sea broke over, split the mainsail in pieces, covered the ship, and poured in between the deck as if the great deep had already swallowed us up. A terrible screaming began among the English. The Germans calmly sung on. I asked one of them afterward, ‘Were you not afraid?’ He answered, ‘I thank God, no.’ I asked, ‘But were not your women and children afraid?’ He replied mildly, ‘No; our women and children are not afraid to die.’ ” The Great Controversy, 255.

The Moravian pastor asked John Wesley, “Do you know Jesus Christ?” John replied, “I know that He is the Saviour of the world.” At that time Wesley did not have as strong a faith in Jesus as the Moravians did. They stayed calm, trusting in Jesus through the storm. John Wesley wanted this same kind of faith that kept the Moravians calm through the storm so he decided to spend a short time with them and was deeply impressed with their Christlike behavior.

Mark 4:37–40 tells the story of Jesus and His disciples while in a boat on the Sea of Galilee. Jesus was so tired that he fell asleep on a pillow. A great storm came up and the terrified disciples, forgetting Jesus was asleep in the back of the boat, were afraid. They feared they would sink because of the water overflowing the sides of the boat. In their distress they woke Him and asked if He really cared whether or not they perished, a question reflecting their lack of faith at that time. Jesus was not afraid. He trusted in His Father for the outcome. Jesus told the storm to “be still,” and the sea became very still. He then asked the disciples why they had no faith, why they did not trust Him.

With similar faith, the Moravians continued their singing through the storm because of their trust. At times we all have storms in our lives. A small boy, struggling with the new experience of his first day at school, called home to talk with his mother. He was angry and afraid and was too upset to speak when his mother answered the call. Not hearing anything from the other end of the line, his mother said, “Hello, who is this?” The little boy burst into tears as he said, “Mom, this is Timmy. Have you forgotten me already?”

As time moved on John Wesley’s faith grew. “Again and again did John Wesley escape death by a miracle of God’s mercy. When the rage of the mob was excited against him, and there seemed no way of escape, an angel in human form came to his side, the mob fell back, and the servant of Christ passed in safety from the place of danger.

“Of his deliverance from the enraged mob upon one of these occasions, Wesley said: ‘Many endeavored to throw me down while we were going downhill on a slippery path to the town; as well judging that if I were once on the ground, I should hardly rise any more. But I made no stumble at all, nor the least slip, till I was entirely out of their hands. Although many strove to lay hold on my collar or clothes, to pull me down, they could not fasten at all; only one got fast hold of the flap of my waistcoat, which was soon left in his hand; the other flap, in the pocket of which was a bank-note, was torn but half off. A lusty man just behind, struck at me several times, with a large oaken stick; with which if he had struck me once on the back part of my head, it would have saved him further trouble. But every time the blow was turned aside, I know not how; for I could not move the right hand nor the left. Another came rushing through the press, and raising his arm to strike, on a sudden let it drop, and only stroked my head, saying, ‘What soft hair he has.’ . . . The very first men whose hearts were turned were the heroes of the town, the captains of the rabble on all occasions, one of them having been a prize fighter at the bear garden.’ ” Ibid., 258, 259.

Timmy’s mother did not forget her little boy, just like Jesus never forgot His disciples during the storm or John Wesley and all of the people on that boat in the middle of the storm. Jesus said, “I am with you always (Matthew 28:20).” Just believe and trust Him.

Children’s Story – Grandmother’s Hands

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“Today I’m giving you an unusual homework assignment,” the teacher said. “Sunday morning you must get up early and write down everything that your mother’s hands do during that day. Then draw a picture of her hands.”

Nicky’s mother had passed away and her grandmother had come to live with her and her father, so she decided to use her grandmother’s hands for her assignment.

Nicky asked her grandmother to put her hands on a sheet of paper so she could draw around them. They were so old and wrinkled and Nicky could not help but notice the comparison when she looked at her own slim, pink fingers. Why didn’t the teacher ask us to draw an artist’s hands, or even our own hands? She thought there was nothing beautiful about grandmother’s hands.

Grandmother spent the whole weekend cooking, washing and ironing and Nicky’s hands got tired of writing everything that grandmother did. Her chores were boring, and Nicky said to her, “Grandmother, sing me a song or play the piano. Remember how you played it on Dad’s birthday?”

“I don’t have time, dear. I still have to clean your shoes and help you get ready for school,” grandmother smiled.

All day Sunday Nicky was busy watching grandmother’s hands. On Monday, the teacher said, “Well done, Nicky. You wrote more than anyone else. Please read us what your grandmother did on Sunday.”

Nicky started to read loud and clear.

“My Grandmother prepared breakfast, ironed my dress and braided some blue hair ribbons. Then she made me a mug of hot chocolate and some pancakes. She washed the dishes and put new covers on my books.”

A few children laughed and someone shouted out: “What class is your grandmother in?” “Does she still wear ribbons in her hair?” said someone else.

Nicky turned red, but she continued to read. “Grandmother made the bed and carefully laid out my dolls on the bedspread. I like all my dolls to sit on the bed during the day.”

“Your grandmother plays with dolls!” the children laughed.

“Be quiet everyone,” the teacher said. “Please go on, Nicky.”

“Grandmother sharpened my coloring pencils because we have drawing class today.”

The children started to laugh again, and the teacher said, “Good, Nicky. Your grandmother must be very busy if she does all your chores as well as her own.”

Nicky went home feeling upset and, as she walked into the house, she announced, “Grandmother, it’s not fair. You do everything for me. Starting today, I’m going to do all my chores myself.”

Grandmother said nothing, and simply sighed sadly. Nicky put down her school bag and decided to sew on the button which had come off her coat. She pricked her finger and the thread got all tangled in the needle, but she did manage to sew on the button. Feeling upset, Nicky tried to cook dinner, but she burnt her patties and then broke her favorite plate as she tried to wash it up afterwards.

For the first time in her life, Nicky went to bed without doing her homework. She was so tired that she couldn’t even begin to write. Before she fell asleep, Nicky looked at grandmother’s hands and said, “Grandmother, your hands are so old, but they do everything so quickly and so well. They must know some sort of secret.” “Of course they do, dear, but they can’t tell you. Let’s swap hands and you can find out what the secret is,” grandmother replied.

“What do you mean, grandmother? That’s impossible!” Nicky said grinning while secretly thinking that she wouldn’t like to swap her delicate pink hands for her grandmother’s dark, wrinkled ones anyway.

Nicky went to bed so tired that she tossed and turned all night dreaming.  She woke up an hour earlier than usual. Instead of lounging around in bed, she jumped up and discovered with horror that she had grandmother’s wrinkled hands. She was about to burst into tears, but then realized that there was no time to cry. She had to wash up and then prepare breakfast for everyone, clean daddy’s coat, finish her homework and then do a million more things.

Before Nicky even had time to think about what she had to do, her hands quickly began to complete one task after another.

But when her hands tried to put some unfinished sewing into her school bag so that they could finish it at break time, Nicky resisted, thinking that break time is for relaxing! But her hands wanted to stay busy at all times. So Nicky was really having a battle with her grandmother’s hands. All of a sudden she heard a familiar voice.

“Time to get up, dear,” said grandmother’s kind voice, and Nicky woke with a start. She was so relieved that having grandmother’s hands had all just been a dream. She climbed out of bed, got dressed and ran to the kitchen.

A delicious breakfast was waiting for her on the table. Her school book was packed up in her bag with her homework completed. Nicky took hold of her grandmother’s hands and squeezed them tight and said, “Grandmother, you have the best hands in the whole wide world. I want mine to be just the same. From now on I’m going to help you in everything you do.”

Nicky was true to her word and from that time forward she helped out wherever she was able. There were times she would rather have played or done something she enjoyed, but she was glad to be of help to her grandmother. She even found that the more she helped, the happier she was and that she always found time for her personal activities. Her respect and love for her grandmother grew day by day.

Draw your grandmother’s, mother’s or father’s hands and write down everything they do in one day. How often have your parents or others shown self-denial and self-forgetfulness in caring and doing for you? Remember to be cheerful and bring some sunshine into your home as a thank you to your parents for all that they do for you. Give them a helping hand and you will find that you will be much happier as was Nicky when she helped each day wherever she could.

There is a good reason why God has told us to “honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.” Exodus 20:12.

Children’s Story – A Good Foundation

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Johnny and his family had decided to move to a nice quiet area but just could not find the right house to purchase so they decided to rent a little house until they could build their own. It was made a matter of prayer that God would help them to find just the right location in which to buy land.

As they searched, Johnny saw all kinds of interesting places that he thought would make pleasant play areas that would be fun for him to invite his friends. His mom and dad had other priorities and decided on a piece of land way up on a hill which was not really easy to get to and covered in big rocks. As a family they prayed again that God would help them design and build a secure new home. Even though it was not Johnny’s choice of location, he was happy with their decision. He loved to see his mom and dad happy, because it made him happy too. He always asked God to help him to be happy and thankful at all times.

About this time, another family moved in next door to the home that Johnny’s family had rented. He was so excited to meet their son Teddy who was the same age as himself and they became very good friends, sharing many happy times together.

Teddy’s parents also planned to build their own home and Johnny often accompanied them while they looked for land. He was amazed to see how Teddy’s parents were so influenced by what he wanted. In fact, the land that they purchased was the very block that Teddy wanted. Johnny also noticed that Teddy got his way far too much and when he didn’t he was sometimes very disrespectful to his parents.

But now Teddy was very excited and boasted about all of the grassland where he could run and play. Johnny struggled as he compared this to the land that his parents had bought which was just full of rocks and hard to get to. It was not a good time for him at all as he struggled with jealousy and the thought that Teddy was much better off than he was and he really had to pray that God would help him to be content.

Construction started on the two houses. Teddy’s house was going up very quickly, first the foundation, then the walls, and in no time at all it was finished and the family was able to move in. Johnny was often invited over to play in the large, grassy yard. Oh, they had so much fun!

The house on the hill seemed to be so slow in building and Johnny started getting angry with his parents and becoming unhappy with all of their decisions. Then he realized that he was acting just like Teddy so he prayed that both he and Teddy would be more respectful to their parents.

Johnny enjoyed the closeness of working with his father and helped wherever he was able, learning from his experience how to carefully make sure everything was strong and secure. It seemed as though their house took forever while Teddy and his family had long since moved into their home. Finally the home on the hill was finished and with great excitement they were able to move in. He and Teddy had such fun climbing up and down the hills and rocks. In fact, Johnny enjoyed the terrain on the hill far more than at Teddy’s house on the flat.

Winter was now settling in and the weather had deteriorated. Johnny was so glad he felt safe in his fine warm, sturdy home on the hill.

But down on the flat land Teddy was not too sure about his. It was kind of cold and the house did not seem too sturdy when the winds blew. One night the rain came down so hard and the wind roared that it was just terrible! The river rose and soon filled Teddy’s yard with water and the house shook from the wind so much that the family had to evacuate.

Johnny’s parents made sure that Teddy’s family was all safe and comfortable in their home during the storm.

On returning the next morning they found their home in shambles. The wind had blown it to pieces and the flood water had destroyed most of their belongings. Everything was lost!

How grateful now was Johnny that his parents had taken the time and care to build such a secure home that it could withstand the storm. Jesus once talked about a house built high up among the rocks. The steep hillside was difficult to climb, and less accessible than the smooth valley below which was clothed with green grass and springing flowers. But on this low ground was pointed out a house that was now in ruins. It had appeared to stand strong until the wind and storm came and destroyed it.

Read what Jesus said in Matthew 7:24–27: “Whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.”

Johnny’s house represents the one that the wise man built.

If you obey His word, Jesus will consider you like the wise man who built his house upon the rock. Each time you obey, you are building on the sure foundation just like Johnny’s family did and when the storm came, they were safe and you will be safe also.

Children’s Story – Tough Roots

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A wealthy man had only one son. Because he had no other children, this boy whom he named Anthony was very special to him. From the time he was a little baby, his little boy had everything money could buy. His nursery room resembled a baby shopping center; he had so many toys that it was impossible to play with all of them before they were outgrown. As he grew, the baby toys were removed and replaced with toddler games and other innumerable toys. Anything a little boy of that age would want, Anthony received.

He had several closets bursting with clothes, shoes and coats. There was so many that he grew out of some clothes before he even had the opportunity to wear them. There was also no restriction on what he ate and whatever food Anthony desired and however much he wanted it was always available. He was so spoiled that he could do whatever he wanted.

However, instead of being happy, by the time Anthony reached about 12 years old his father began to notice that his son was very discontented. Anything that he was offered Anthony refused, but wanted something else, throwing tantrums that upset the whole house. He was one very unhappy boy!

It would be most children’s dream to have whatever their hearts desired, but here was a boy who had everything and was not happy. Why? Nothing was held back from him—food, clothes and toys—nothing satisfied him and his father did not understand or know what else he could do about it.

Anthony had developed some really bad habits of arguing, believing he knew everything about anything and that he could do anything he wanted. He would just throw his clothes down anywhere without picking them up and he was never satisfied. He looked down at a lot of people around him, considering himself better than they were.

Out of desperation, the father shared his concern about Anthony with his wise, old Christian friend who gave him some advice. Anthony had never been disciplined or denied anything, so he did not know the meaning of the word no! There had never been any boundaries set in place, so there was nowhere that Anthony could feel safe so he became unhappy, discontented, rude and very grumpy.

The Bible says, “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6. Poor little Anthony! His father had not followed God’s counsel and he had not been rightly trained as a child, causing his son to have such big problems that nobody wanted to be around him.

Father’s friend offered to take Anthony home with him and teach him some manners to help him get rid of his bad habits. One day as they walked through the garden he suddenly stopped and asked the boy to pull out a tiny plant. Thinking how easy that would be to a boy who thought he could do anything, Anthony confidently held the plant between his thumb and forefinger and pulled it out easily with a big smile of accomplishment.

Walking on a little farther, the old man asked him to pull out a slightly bigger plant. Anthony pulled hard and the plant came out, roots and all. Of course Anthony’s smile was big because it was so easy!

“Now pull out that one,” said the old man pointing this time to a bush. Anthony looked at the size of this bush and with confidence proceeded to pull. The boy used all the strength he could muster and it finally came out. Of course, there was another proud smile!

“Now take this one out,” said the old man, pointing to a fruit tree. Anthony’s confidence was soaring so he grabbed the trunk and tried to pull it out, but it would not budge. “It’s impossible,” said the boy all out of breath because of the effort he had exerted.

“So it is with bad habits,” said the old man. “When they are young it is easy to pull them out, but when they take hold they cannot be uprooted.”

That session with the old man changed the boy’s life. Anthony understood the lesson the old man taught him, comparing his ugly habits with the different sized roots of each plant. That lesson, along with the prayers they shared, changed the boy’s life. When he went home to his father his whole attitude had changed and he was a new boy, much happier, as was everybody else around him.

Proverbs 29:17 says, “Correct thy son, and he shall give thee rest; yea, he shall give delight unto thy soul.” Consider the meaning of this verse after reading about Anthony.

Children’s Story – Little Lamb

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Many of you have had a pet dog or a pet cat, but what about a pet chicken, bird, rabbit, duck or fish? Well, I have had all those things and more, but I want to tell you a story about our pet lamb!

I had the wonderful experience of growing up on a large 1,200 acre farm with dogs, sheep and cows. My father grew wheat and had hundreds of sheep. We milked the cows and loved our two special dogs, Chum and Mitzie. They were sheep dogs that helped care for the sheep when my father directed them to do so. He did this by loud whistles or short commands which they had learned to understand. By this means, my father was able to round up the sheep and take them from one field to another, through gates, into small pens, up ramps or wherever he needed them to go. Our dogs were very obedient, like children ought to be to their moms and dads!

Every year the mother sheep, called ewes, would have new lambs. If the weather turned cold too soon and there were a lot of unexpected rains just after the baby lambs were born, many lambs would die. My mother would go out into the cold and collect some of the lambs, bringing them into the kitchen beside the wood stove in an attempt to keep them warm, dry and alive. She carefully cared for them, but most would die. This was very sad to us, but we knew that death came about because of sin and it would not always be this way.

We left the farm when I was almost six years of age. We never lived on a farm that size again, but when I was about ten, my father, now a minister of the Gospel, brought home Little Lamb for us children to raise. My two brothers, one sister and I fed our lamb until it was so fat and round that it could not get up or walk. Our mother told us it would probably die because lambs do not know when to stop eating and we overfed it. Happily, our pet lamb did not die. It had to learn some healthful eating habits that helped it live!

One day, when the lamb was not quite fully grown, our family of six prepared to head to church in our car. Dad started the car and slowly pulled away from the curb. Bump! Oh, what was that? Dad stopped the car and out we clambered one after another. Our pet lamb had unwittingly found a warm place to rest in front of the back wheel. He was injured badly. As you would have guessed, we were all very upset.

Our Little Lamb had damaged its hip and could not walk. My mother carefully took him inside the house to the living room where Dad made a frame with a sling where he could hang with his feet just touching the floor. Mother and we children cared for Little Lamb for weeks until he could walk once again. Little Lamb always had a lump and a limp, but he was very special because we had saved his life. He loved us and we loved him.

In the Bible, Jesus describes Himself as the True Shepherd. A shepherd is a person who looks after sheep. Do you know that we are referred to as sheep? Well, we are! In Isaiah 53:6 it says, “All we like sheep have gone astray.” But Jesus says of them who have gone astray, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them.” John 10:27. When we hear His voice we will follow Him. Do you know that He cares for us even more than my mother cared for our lambs? Though we often go astray as lambs do, sometimes by mistake and sometimes because we want to, when we see what Jesus has done for us on the cross we want Him in our heart and mind; we want to love Him too! Jesus will be so happy that we want Him for our Best Friend to make sure our life is filled with happiness, joy and peace—both here and forevermore. Pray and ask Jesus today, to be your Shepherd.

Children’s Story – The Window

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Two young men who were both seriously ill occupied the same hospital room.

Jack’s bed was next to the room’s only window. For one hour each day he was allowed to sit up in his bed to drain the fluids from his lungs. The other man, Jim, whose bed was across the room, had to spend all of his time lying flat on his back.

The two young men became very good friends in a short time and they talked for hours on end about their families, their homes, their jobs, holidays they had and their involvement in activities around their homes and in the community. They were both so thankful to have somebody to talk with and each day they prayed together for God to help them through the pain of each day and to have joy in their hearts.

Each afternoon while Jack was sitting up in his bed knowing that his friend could not get up and needing to hear something about the outside world, he passed the time describing to his roommate the things he saw as he looked out of his window. Jim looked forward to those one-hour periods each day as his friend shared with him, and his world opened up and was given life by all the activity and color of the outside world.

The window overlooked a park that surrounded a lake that sparkled in the sunshine. Ducks and swans swam on the water undisturbed by the children who laughed and played while sailing their model boats. Grand old trees graced the landscape where young men and women walked arm in arm amid the many colorful flowers and shrubs. In the distance could be seen a fine view of the city skyline. As Jack described what he saw in great detail, Jim would just close his eyes and in his imagination view the picturesque scene. One warm afternoon Jack described a parade passing by and although Jim could not hear the band, he could see it vividly in his mind.

Then one day an unexpected thought entered Jim’s head. Why should Jack have the privilege of seeing everything while I am stuck in this bed seeing nothing? It just didn’t seem fair. At first Jim was ashamed of such a thought of jealousy, but as the days passed his envy grew into resentment and very soon he became very bitter. He began to brood about it and was unable to sleep peacefully. The constant thought that he should be the one by that window controlled his life, making him miserable, and he no longer enjoyed Jack sharing with him the things that he saw. Late one night, as Jim lay staring at the ceiling feeling very sorry for himself, he thought he heard a commotion from the other bed where Jack was but did not pay any attention. The following morning Jack was taken to another location. Jim now saw an opportunity for himself and was glad that the bed beside the window was now vacant. As soon as Jack’s belongings were removed Jim asked if he could have that bed. Once the switch had been made and the nurse had done all she could to make him comfortable, he was left alone.

He was so excited, because now he would see everything Jack saw for himself. Slowly, painfully, and after much struggling, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look. Finally, after all this time he would have the joy of seeing everything himself. He strained and slowly turned to look out the window and all he saw was a blank wall.

Oh, what a letdown! He suddenly realized that all those things that Jack had shared with him to make him happy were the joyful things in Jack’s own heart. He never saw that blank wall. Jim felt so sad now about his attitude of jealousy which had affected the friendship he had before Jack had left.

Both men were very ill and in dealing with that, Jack had decided to always think on the positive things. He knew that true happiness does not depend upon circumstances, but the condition of the heart.

What a lesson that Jim finally learned! Now he really missed his old buddy and the insights of Jack’s heart that had always lightened their situation. Unfortunately, sometimes we do not appreciate what we have until it is gone.

God tells us that, “Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” Philippians 4:8.

If we regularly put positive, encouraging and uplifting thoughts into our minds and bite our lips before we begin to grumble or complain, we will have much happiness to share with others.

Children’s Story – Never Give Up!

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Keep looking to Jesus, children!

Do you like to run? Can you run fast? Maybe you can run a long way without getting all out of breath! It is good to walk or run for exercise out in the open air. Sunlight and oxygen help us to be healthy and no one wants to be sick. I guess you know it is not good to run a race just to beat someone else. Of course! You already know that. Do you also know that the Bible talks about a race? It says, “Let us run with patience the race that is set before us.” Hebrews 12:1. Perhaps you know what race it is talking about so think about it while you read this story that happened quite a few years ago. I know the story to be true, as I was there at the time.

This story is about a girl named Karen who at the time of this incident was about seven years old. This happened at a school in Australia, at a place called Avondale College. Karen was attending this school while her father studied to become a preacher. It was school sports day and had come time for the last race of the day. This race was also the longest! Imagine seven-year-olds running all the way around a big field with chairs as markers. If a student ran on the inside of the chairs they were disqualified, so it was important to watch and be alert!

There were dozens of girls in the race, all about the same age standing on the start line. Bang! Away they went, running as fast as their legs could carry them. Not all girls have the same length of legs, so, of course, some went faster than others. Karen was running with all her might, passing first one girl, then another. A group of girls running together called to her to run with them. But she would not. She passed them, yet there were more girls in front some distance away.

Suddenly, from the sidelines a voice called out in a loud voice, “Disqualified. You’re out.” “Oh no!” thought Karen. “I did not see that chair.” She had mistakenly run on the inside of the chair. Was she going to give up now? Oh no; never! Neither should any dear child give up after making a mistake. You know, Jesus is always ready to help and forgive us when we make a mistake. Remember this!

Refusing to give up without a fight, Karen ran back the way she had come, back around the chair until on the correct side and on the right path again. Now, nearly all the girls she had once passed were in front. Setting about again with a determined spirit, she ran forward with every nerve and muscle. Without looking back, Karen kept her eyes straight forward. Something was different as she looked ahead.

Way up front stood a tall distinguished figure of a man she had not seen there before. He was standing to the side near the finish line. Focusing her eyes, Karen suddenly realized that this was her dear father. She could not recall him ever coming to the school before like this. Inside her body and mind, a new energy and excitement flowed as she saw her father quietly watching her. Passing first one and then another, with tired legs and aching side, eyes riveted on those of her father, Karen passed the finish line in second place. The best prize of all was the smile of approval from Dad! He was not a man of many words, and that smile meant more than the apple handed to her for her effort. She knew her father was well pleased with the fact that she did not give up.

Little children, I want to encourage you to never give up with discouragement or despair, but keep looking to Jesus! If we keep running with Jesus we will win the prize of eternal life. If we keep our eyes on Jesus just like Karen kept her eyes on her father, Jesus will help us to the finish line to receive our crown of glory. “Oh, dear Jesus, help every child to look up at You and live.” Amen.

Children’s Story – The Potatoes

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A teacher struggled with knowing how to teach her kindergarten students to get along. It was so bad that she decided to let her class play a game. The children were instructed to bring to class the next day a plastic bag containing potatoes. Each potato was to be given the name of a person that the child did not like, so the number of potatoes each child carried in his sack varied and reflected the number and names of his enemies. Some had two potatoes, some three, while some others had up to five potatoes.

The children were required to carry the potatoes with them in the plastic bag wherever they went for one entire week.

At first the children thought it was fun carrying around these potatoes with names on them, but as the days passed by they tired of the game and began to get sick of carrying around their burdens, especially when an unpleasant aroma wafted from the plastic bag as their potatoes started to rot. There were many complaints, especially from the children who had to carry up to five potatoes, making their bags heavy. At the end of the week there was much relief when the game finally ended.

The teacher asked the children, “How did you feel while carrying the potatoes with you for one week?” The children shared their frustrations of the trouble that they had to go through carrying the heavy and smelly potatoes. Then the hidden meaning behind the game was told to the children.

She said, “Carrying rotten potatoes with you constantly is exactly what happens when you carry hatred for somebody inside your heart. The stench of hatred pollutes your heart as well as your body. You carry it with you wherever you go and it affects everything you do. If you cannot tolerate the smell of rotten potatoes for just one week, can you imagine what it is like to have the stench of hatred in your heart for your whole lifetime?”

We must throw out any hatred and evil thoughts we might be harboring in our hearts against anyone so that we do not carry the stench of anger for our whole lifetime. Carrying hatred causes grumpiness and anger and makes the one carrying it hard to get along with. As Jesus forgives us, we also are to forgive others.

Joseph’s brothers threw him into a pit and then sold him into slavery (Genesis 37). You can read all of the terrible things that happened to him, yet he never carried any anger or hatred. Though he was thrown into prison and falsely accused by Potipher’s wife, Joseph harbored no hatred, anger or revenge and was still able to happily help those around him in the prison, warming the hearts of all connected with him. Many years later when reunited with his brothers, though he had been treated so cruelly, he repaid them with forgiveness and compassion. There was not a hint of hatred in his heart.

Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:14, 15: “For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

Sometimes it is very hard to forgive someone who has done or said something evil against you, but never let another person’s bad actions infect the peace you have available in Jesus.

Forgiveness may be something we give to other people, but it is really a gift to ourselves. Holding onto anger and unforgiveness destroys both health and happiness, causing wretchedness that no one enjoys being around. Each day brings new opportunities for us to forgive and forget.

God is willing to create a new heart and to renew a right spirit in all who ask Him and remove that root of bitterness that so many carry with them.

Children’s Story – Building a Bridge

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In 1883, a creative engineer named John Roebling was inspired by an idea to build a spectacular bridge connecting New York with Long Island. However, bridge building experts throughout the world thought that it was an impossible feat, telling Roebling to forget the idea and that it just could not be done. It was not practical, and a project like that had never been done before.

Roebling could not ignore the idea he had in his mind of building the bridge. He thought about it continually and he knew, deep in his heart, that it could be done. He just had to share the idea with someone else, and after much discussion and persuasion, he managed to convince his son Washington, a construction engineer, that the bridge could be built.

Working together for the first time, the father and son developed concepts of how it could be accomplished and how any obstacles could be overcome. With great excitement and inspiration, and the prospect of a wild challenge before them, they hired their crew and began to build their dream bridge.

The project started well, but when it was only a few months underway a tragic accident on the site took the life of John Roebling. Washington, also seriously injured, was left with a certain amount of brain damage, which resulted in him being paralyzed, unable to walk or talk. Many of the scoffers said, “We told them so.” “Crazy men and their crazy dreams.” “It’s foolish to chase wild visions.” Everyone seemed to have negative comments to make and felt that the project should be stopped since the Roeblings were the only ones who knew how the bridge could be built. In spite of his handicap, Washington’s mind was still as sharp as ever and he maintained a burning desire to complete the bridge, never becoming discouraged.

He tried to inspire and pass on his enthusiasm to some of his friends, but they were too discouraged to tackle the task without him. As he lay on his bed in his hospital room, with the sunlight streaming through the windows, a gentle breeze blew the flimsy white curtains apart, enabling him to see the sky and the tops of the trees outside for just a moment.

It seemed that there was a message for him not to give up. Suddenly an idea hit him. He was limited to only moving one finger so he decided to make the best use of it. By moving his finger, he slowly developed a code of communication with his wife.

Touching his wife’s arm with that finger, he indicated to her to call the engineers again and using that same method of tapping her arm he communicated to the engineers what they needed to do. It seemed foolish, but the project was again under way.

For 13 years Washington tapped out his instructions with his finger on his wife’s arm, until the bridge was finally completed. Today the spectacular Brooklyn Bridge stands in all its glory as a tribute to the triumph of one man’s indomitable spirit and his determination not to be defeated by circumstances. It is also a tribute to the engineers and their teamwork, and to their faith in a man who was considered by half the world to be mad. It stands, too, as a tangible monument to the love and devotion of his wife who, for 13 long years, patiently decoded the messages of her husband, instructing the engineers what to do next.

Perhaps this is one of the best examples of a positive attitude that overcame a terrible physical handicap, achieving a seemingly impossible goal.

Often when we face obstacles in our day-to-day life, our hurdles seem very small in comparison to what many others have to face. The Brooklyn Bridge shows us that no matter what the odds are, God will give us strength to accomplish all that it is His will to do.

Each can say with confidence, “I can do all things through Christ Jesus who strengthens me” [Philippians 4:13]. Never forget that God is our strength at all times and in all circumstances.

Like Paul, there can be no higher goal than living out our own unique talents to the best of our ability in service to those whom Christ loved. We are called to “press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14), and as we do so, whether it is visible or not, we are making great progress.

Children’s Story – Kindness Repaid

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It was in a small town in England and at the time before there were cars, and people traveled using horses and carriages. The old barn keeper was just loosening the harness on the tired horses when he was startled by Jack, a young sailor. “Excuse me, sir. May I sleep in your barn tonight?” he asked. Startled by the voice, the old man turned around to see who it was who was talking to him. He was just bringing in some horses to bed them down for the night out of the freezing gusts of wind that were beating upon him.

The young sailor quietly stood there, tired and cold, waiting for an answer to his request. Suddenly the old barn keeper gruffly said, “No, I do not want anybody like you staying in my barn. You had better keep right on moving or you will be in big trouble.”

The young man replied, “But sir! I am honest and I would not take anything that was not mine, even if I were without shoes.”

But the old barn keeper would not listen. He hollered back, “I don’t trust you any further than I can see you! Now get out of here or else!”

Jack, sadly turned away wondering where he would go next. All of the places he had tried before had turned him away with the same kind of harshness. He felt dejected; nobody wanted to help him. They considered him a beggar, so sadly he turned away and walked back out into the darkness. Suddenly he felt a light tap on his shoulder. It was the young boy who had been helping the old barn keeper in the stable. The boy quietly said, “Wait!” Then he whispered, “I think I know where you can get help. Just go down this road to the first little shop you come to. Mrs. Smith is a widow, but I’m sure she will let you sleep in her woodshed. She is very kind and is always willing to help those who need it.”

Oh what warmth filled Jack’s heart as he replied to the young boy, “Thank you very much!” There was at least somebody who cared enough to help someone in need. Jack had come into port only two days before and when he reached the shore, somebody had robbed him of all that he had. Now he had to beg his way to London. Every time someone refused to give him food or shelter, it hurt him deeply.

Now, Jack’s heart was filled with hope. He quickly reached the shop, but the door was locked. Oh no, he thought. But Jack remembered the stable boy told him that she never turned anybody away. So he gently knocked on the door. The door opened and the lady on the other side said, “Good evening. Were you looking for me?”

Jack quickly answered, “Are you Mrs. Smith? I was told that you might let me sleep in your woodshed.” The door opened wide and she said, “Come in! You look as though you are nearly frozen. I don’t have much to share tonight, but won’t you join me for dinner? I was just sitting down to eat.”

As Jack shared this simple meal in a warm room with the widow, he told her about everything that had happened to him. He even told her about how he had narrowly escaped becoming shipwrecked himself. Mrs. Smith replied, “Well, Mr. Willis, how thankful you must be that God, in His providence, has spared you until this very moment. But remember that He who has saved your life at sea can also save your soul. The Lord has sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for the sins of His people. Have you asked the Lord to have mercy on you?”

After giving thanks to the Lord for the meal, the widow spread some clean, dry straw in a corner of her woodshed. Jack lay down with a thankful heart and slept soundly all night. The next morning when he awoke he straightened his rumpled clothes as best he could. He then went to thank the kind woman for letting him stay the night and he would go on his way. But, to his surprise, the kind woman had prepared for him a warm breakfast. When they were finished, she also gave him a small sum of money to help him travel farther. As he left her house, she prayed for the Lord’s blessing to follow him.

Ten years went by and no one remembered what had happened on that cold windy night except one person.

The widow had grown older and now used a cane to help her walk, but she still had a heart filled with love for helping others. Even though she was not rich, she shared what she had.

One morning she received a very important looking envelope. She opened it and read it: “Dear Mrs. Smith, you are invited to come to London tomorrow. I have a message for you. But I want to give you this message in person. Please meet me at 11 a.m. at the Red Lion Inn. Thank you.”

Mrs. Smith had never been away from her own little town and some of her friends were very concerned. She was a bit afraid to go on such a long journey but she was willing to believe the best in everyone. She trusted that God in His providence would protect her from all harm.

So the following morning she took a coach to London and arrived at the great Red Lion Inn. Before she could become worried, two respectable-looking men greeted her and led her to a room. There in the room she was very surprised to hear somebody say, “Well, how are you doing? Don’t you remember me?”

She looked carefully at the stranger. “No, sir, I don’t believe I know you.” The reply came, “I am Jack Willis. Remember the begging sailor you took into your home about ten years ago? I had no money and no friends in a strange town, but you gave me food and a place to sleep that cold, wintry night and I have never forgotten your kindness. I am now captain of a large ship and I wish to give you something in return.” Turning to the other man, Jack continued, “This is Mr. Bates. He is a lawyer whom I have asked to pay you a sum of money each year at this time. This is to show something of my thankfulness to you for your kindness. But, especially, I want you to know that your warning words were used by God to speak to my heart. The Lord used your words and example to convict me of my sin. He has also led me to the only Source of salvation for such a sinner as I am—to His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Mrs. Smith’s heart was filled with wonder and burst into tears as she was overwhelmed by all that she had heard. Giving thanks to God for His rich blessings and care for Jack in both body and soul, she returned to her own home. How thankful she was that the Lord had provided also for her! She now had enough money to help even more needy ones. For the rest of her days, whenever she listened to someone tell of their troubles, she always thought of God’s wonderful providence and grace as witnessed in the life of Jack Willis.

How does this story parallel with the story of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:30–35?