Children’s Story

Children’s Story – The Potter’s Vessel

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God knew you before you were even born and He has a very special job that He wants you to do. While we are alive we have to learn lessons of obedience and sometimes God even gives us some trials to see if He can trust us to do the special job He has for us. If you are obedient to your mom and dad and ask God to help you to be willing and able to do the jobs they ask, one day when God knows you are ready to do the job He has for you He will let you know just what it is.

A long time ago, God spoke to a young man whose name was Jeremiah. You can read about him in the Bible book by the same name. God spoke to him and said, “Before you were formed, I knew you. Before you were born I knew you would be a holy person, and I decided that I wanted you to be my prophet” (Jeremiah 1:5). A prophet is someone who can tell what is going to happen in the future.

One day God told Jeremiah to go to the potter’s house. A potter is someone who makes pots and bowls and all sorts of things out of clay. When he arrived at the potter’s house, he found the potter working. Jeremiah watched as the potter reached down into a deep, rank-smelling pit and brought out a lump of clay. He slapped it onto the stone that was on top of the potter’s wheel. The clay was rough looking with lots of lumps and bumps and uneven edges, but he balanced it carefully before starting to work with it. Dipping his hands in water, he steadily held his hands over the clay as the wheel started to spin. As the clay bobbed around, some gentle pressure was applied to hold it in place, preventing it from jumping and lurching. Never did the potter touch the clay without wet hands. The lump soon became smooth, and the potter was able to begin shaping and molding the clay. As the vessel responded to the care of the potter’s hand, it was molded and fashioned in just the way the potter wanted it.

You see, the potter had a plan for that piece of clay. When he looked at the marred piece that he had started with, he did not see the lumps and bumps and rough bits. He envisioned a beautiful vessel, and he knew just what would be needed to achieve that goal and what work it would take.

While Jeremiah was watching, before his eyes that marred, old piece of clay was transformed into a beautiful, balanced vessel without any spots or wrinkles.

God then said to Jeremiah, “O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter? … Look, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand.” Jeremiah 18:6. (NKJV)

David also understood this concept when he said, “I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined to me, and heard my cry. He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps.” Psalm 40:1, 2. (NKJV)

Jesus says, “I want to take you just as you are. I want to smooth out all your rough spots; take away all of your defects. I want to mould you and fashion you. I want to make you a beautiful vessel, a vessel unto honor (Romans 9:21), one without any leaks, because I want to fill you with My Holy Spirit so you can reflect Me and tell other people of My great love for them. Very soon I am coming back, and I want to take you home to live with Me forever.”

May you stand firmly on that Rock of salvation and allow the Great Potter to smooth out all of the bumps and defects of character while time lasts.

Children’s Story – Hands

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An old man, probably some ninety plus years, sat feebly on the park bench. He didn’t move, just sat with his head down staring at his hands. When I sat down beside him he didn’t acknowledge my presence, and the longer I sat I wondered if he was okay.

Finally, not really wanting to disturb him, but wanting to check on him at the same time, I asked him if he was all right. He raised his head and looked at me and smiled. “Yes, I’m fine, thank you for asking,” he said in a clear strong voice.

“I didn’t mean to disturb you, sir, but you were just sitting here staring at your hands and I wanted to make sure you were okay,” I explained to him.

“Have you ever looked at your hands?” he asked. “I mean really looked at your hands?”

I slowly opened my hands and stared down at them. I turned them over, palms up and then palms down. No, I guess I had never really looked at my hands as I tried to figure out the point he was making.

Then he smiled and related this story: “Stop and think for a moment about the hands you have, how they have served you well throughout your years. These hands, though wrinkled, shriveled and weak have been the tools I have used all my life to reach out and grab and embrace life. They braced and caught my fall when as a toddler I crashed upon the floor. They put food in my mouth and clothes on my back. As a child my mother taught me to fold them in prayer. They tied my shoes and pulled on my boots. They dried the tears of my children and caressed the love of my life. They held my rifle and wiped my tears when I went off to war. They have been dirty, scraped and raw, swollen and bent.

“They were uneasy and clumsy when I tried to hold my newborn son. They wrote the letters home and trembled and shook when I buried my parents and spouse and walked my daughter down the aisle. Yet, they were strong and sure when I dug my buddy out of a foxhole and lifted a plow off my best friend’s foot. They have held children, consoled neighbors and shook in anger as fists when I didn’t understand. They have covered my face, combed my hair and washed and cleansed the rest of my body. They have been sticky and wet, bent and broken, dried and raw. And to this day when not much of anything else of me works real well, these hands hold me up, lay me down, and again continue to fold in prayer. These hands are the mark of where I’ve been and the ruggedness of my life.

“But more importantly it will be these hands that God will reach out and touch. And He won’t care about where these hands have been or what they have done. What He will care about is to whom these hands belong and how much He loves these hands that have been dedicated to Him. And with these hands He will lift me to His side and there I will use these hands to touch the face of Christ.”

No doubt, I will never look at my hands the same again. I never saw the old man again after I left the park that day, but I will never forget him and the words he spoke. When my hands are hurt or sore or when I stroke the face of my children and wife, I think of the man in the park. I have a feeling that his life was touched by the hand of God. I, too, want to touch the face of God and feel His hands upon my face.

Thank you, God, for hands!

Children’s Story – Madison, God’s Beautiful Farm

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How it All Began

On a peaceful day in June 1904, Edward Alexander Sutherland and Ellen White, along with two of Mrs. White’s sons, boarded the steamboat Morning Star to travel down the Cumberland River. Their mission was twofold: (1) to find a suitable location for a training school for young black workers, and (2) to find a site for the training of the white young people in the area. The latter mission was led by Sutherland and his college friend Percy Magan.

As the steamboat neared the area of the Ferguson-Nelson farm, a site which had been considered for the training school, the boat’s machinery began to sound strange. Mrs. White noticed where they were and suggested that they go look the land over one more time, while the boat was repaired. Sutherland was not interested. He had seen the land before, and to him it held no promise. But when Mrs. White insisted he finally gave in.

As they approached the property, Mrs. White said that she recognized this as the place she had seen in vision for the training school. Amid the protests of both Sutherland and Magan, she urged them to purchase the place. The following day the two men hired a horse and buggy and drove out to the property. The two men surveyed the land. To them it looked like an unpromising rockpile. As they fell on their knees in prayer they felt courage pour into them. Never after did they doubt that the Lord was indeed leading them. Even though the price was much more than they had planned on spending, they put their faith in God and went forward.

Purchasing the School

The next step was to approach the Ferguson family for the purchase agreement and the contract. But from the start this was a struggle. The Ferguson’s, especially Mrs. Ferguson, were very much against northerners, Yankees, they called them. Percy Magan struggled and prayed with her and thought that he had finally made some headway, but a few hours later she was back to her stubborn attitude. Magan finally left, saying that he would be back until they got that farm.
In the meantime, Sutherland was in the north when he received a telegraph from Magan saying that the he had better come down because he was running into difficulty. Before Sutherland arrived Magan had another meeting with the Fergusons, and got a verbal agreement for the purchase, after a raise in price. With Mrs. White’s encouragement, they decided to pay the extra, and finally were able to get Mrs. Ferguson to sign the papers.

Starting the School

When the school began, the Ferguson’s refused to immediately give the plantation house over to the new residents. So those that came before the fall of the year had to live in barns and other outbuildings, in less than comfortable surroundings.

The servants’ quarters in the stable were dubbed ‘Probation Hall’. At one time or another almost everyone of the early faculty and students lived for a time in ‘Probation Hall’.

Their diet was very simple because their funds were so limited. They ate primarily cornpone, buttermilk, or milktoast, but few complained. They endured with cheerfulness.

Through all the hardships they grew to be a very close knit group—faculty and students. In the evenings they gathered in the parlor of the big plantation house to sit around the fireplace and discuss various topics. But throughout their conversations ran a consistent thread of dedication to the will of God.

By the spring of 1905 there were fifteen students, but the school was running low on funds. However the school never turned anyone down because they lacked the money to come. A number one principle at Madison was self-support. Each student was required to work to pay their tuition. The buildings which were erected for the school, were built by faculty and students.

The students followed a ‘One-Study’ plan of education. They devoted most of each day to one major subject. They students rotated through different lines of work until they received a well-rounded approach to many lines of work.

Through all the progress that the school had made there was a cloud hanging overhead. Sutherland was troubled that a sanitarium had still not been started.

The Sanitarium Work

Finally, one wonderful day, Sister White came to visit Madison. She and all the faculty were having a picnic when Sister White commented that the spot where they were would be wonderful for a sanitarium. She told them to step out in faith and mark the spot, which they did.

Before any of the sanitarium buildings could even be built, a businessman came from Nashville asking to be treated. The women protested that they had no facilities to treat him, but on his insistence they made makeshift quarters and agreed to treat him. As a result of their successful treatment of him, as well as their successful treatment of several smallpox cases, Madison Sanitarium gained a good reputation and soon it began to add substantially to the school’s income.

Progressing the Lord’s Work

One very important thing in Sutherland’s life was a vegetarian diet and he instituted one at Madison.

He wanted to create a health-food factory on campus as well. A health-food factory had been established not far from the school when it first began, but the factory was not at all successful. Now Sutherland was very impressed to purchase the machinery from the unused factory. The factory that he started on the campus greatly prospered providing one more avenue for the school’s support.

Several students who came to Madison went on to start small schools called ‘units’ in other areas of the south. Some of these schools still remain and prosper. Three students even went to Cuba and served there as missionaries for several years.

Over the next several years Madison continued to grow and prosper. The Lord blessed them with many workers. One in particular, Mrs. Lida Scott gave over a million dollars, as well as herself, to the work of the ‘units’ across the south.

In 1915 the death of Ellen White brought especial grief to the Sutherlands. They rested in the wonderful friendship they had shared with her, and the hope that they would soon meet again at Christ’s second coming.

Over the next eighteen years the school climbed to accreditation as a senior college. Madison’s influence spread far and wide. Their orchards and vineyards were flourishing on the land that had been considered hopeless, providing food to eat and can for the school.

In 1943 the school experienced the worst drought of anything since the school began. The faculty pled with the Lord and two days later the rain poured on the parched earth. They later found out that the rain was limited to the location right around the school. The rest of the surrounding area did not get relief for ten more days!

The Closing Years

In 1947 Percy Magan passed to his rest. Then in 1955 Edward A. Sutherland followed.
Madison continued as a model for many schools around the world but particularly in the south. And even though it was eventually forced to close its doors for lack of finances, Madison’s spirit lives on.

The End

Children’s Story – Kindness of a Stranger

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It was a bitter, cold evening in northern Virginia many years ago. The old man’s beard was glazed by winter’s frost while he waited for a ride across the river. The wait seemed endless. His body became numb and stiff from the frigid north wind.

Then he heard the faint, steady rhythm of approaching hooves galloping along the frozen path. Anxiously, he watched as several horsemen rounded the bend. He let the first one pass by without an effort to get his attention. Then another passed by, and another. Finally, the last rider neared the spot where the old man sat like a snow statue. As this one drew near, the old man caught the rider’s eye and said, “Sir, would you mind giving an old man a ride to the other side? There doesn’t appear to be a passageway by foot.”

Reining his horse, the rider replied, “Sure thing. Hop aboard.” Seeing that the old man was unable to lift his half-frozen body from the ground, the horseman dismounted and helped the old man onto the horse. The horseman took the old man not just across the river, but to his destination, which was just a few miles away.

As they neared the tiny but cozy cottage, the horseman’s curiosity caused him to inquire, “Sir, I notice that you let several other riders pass by without making an effort to secure a ride. Then I came up and you immediately asked me for a ride. I’m curious why, on such a bitter winter night, you would wait and ask the last rider. What if I had refused and left you there?”

The old man lowered himself slowly down from the horse, looked the rider straight in the eyes, and replied, “I’ve been around these here parts for some time. I reckon I know people pretty good.” The old-timer continued, “I looked into the eyes of the other riders and immediately saw there was no concern for my situation. It would have been useless even to ask them for a ride. But when I looked into your eyes, kindness and compassion were evident. I knew, then and there, that your gentle spirit would welcome the opportunity to give me assistance in my time of need.”

Those heartwarming comments touched the horseman deeply. “I’m most grateful for what you have said,” he told the old man. “May I never get too busy in my own affairs that I fail to respond to the needs of others with kindness and compassion.”

With that, Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States of America, turned his horse around and made his way back to the White House.

The Bible tells us of another Good Samaritan who helped somebody in need.

One day, a man who was traveling from a far away city, suddenly met up with a group of thieves. The thieves took everything he had, and then they beat him and left him lying half dead by the side of the road.

As he lay there he heard footsteps. “I hope he will help me!” He waited and listened and then the footsteps went a different direction. That was a priest who came by, but when he saw the man lying beside the road, he decided to take a different route because he was in a hurry and didn’t want to be bothered.

After a little while, he heard footsteps again. This time it was a Levite, a well-known teacher in the temple. But when he saw the man lying on the side of the road, he looked down and walked right by, completely ignoring the poor, hurting man.

It wasn’t long until the man heard another set of footsteps. The man who was traveling down the road this time was a stranger from Samaria. As he passed by, he noticed the man who was lying beaten and bloody on the side of the road. He felt sorry for him and wanted to help. He got off his donkey and bent down next to the man to get a closer look at the wounds. Gently, he wrapped bandages around the sores and helped him to his feet. He carefully put the man on his own donkey, and took him to the nearest hotel. He stayed with the man overnight and took care of him.

The next morning he had to leave, but he could not take the man with him. When he paid the bill, he gave the innkeeper extra money, saying, “Take care of him, feed him, and make sure he has everything he needs. If he owes you any money after he gets well and leaves, write it down, and I will pay the bill the next time I come by.”

Jesus tells us to go and do the same. Just like Thomas Jefferson took time to help somebody in need, you and I need to take time to help somebody in need.

The story of the Good Samaritan is recorded in Luke 10:30–37.

Children’s Story – Have a Nice Weekend

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Have a nice weekend!” were wishes given us by family, neighbors and coworkers. Frank and I decided that we were not too old to actually car camp—that means taking a tent and sleeping bags in the trunk of the car, not an RV! It was early August and very hot in our hometown of Yuma, Arizona, so we thought of places not too far away that might be a little cooler for our weekend get away. Prescott, Arizona, was the chosen spot, so after saying a prayer for safety, as we always do before traveling, we set off on our journey. On arrival we selected campsite #1 at Yavapai Campground, just outside of Prescott, by Granite Mountain. We set up camp, had supper and went to bed; bed was a sleeping bag on a thin air mattress. Charlie, our little Terrier mix, who looks somewhat like the infamous Benji, lay at my feet. After tossing and turning and getting little sleep, we awoke to the pleasant, cool mountain air, chirping birds and beautiful surroundings of rock formations. It was so relaxing and enjoyable to sit in our folding lounge chairs, watching through binoculars the different species of birds and being able to identify them using the bird book that we had brought with us.

That evening we went into town to pick up a few forgotten supplies and decided that sunflower seeds would help attract more birds. Back at the camp we scattered sunflower seeds on the nicely landscaped retaining wall at our campsite. As we were putting things away and washing out our new pan, I went to dump the water on the other side of the retaining wall when I saw something move. I thought it must be Charlie, but what was he doing down there? When I took a second look, I saw that it was a black and white creature munching on sunflower seeds! I called to Frank, “Get in the car; it’s a skunk!” He fumbled around looking for the keys, and we finally made it to safety. But after a few minutes, Frank, who didn’t believe that I actually saw a skunk, went out to look. Yes, he confirmed that it really was a skunk! (And no, he didn’t get sprayed!)

We didn’t know that skunks like sunflower seeds but decided that maybe the sunflower seeds were not such a good idea, so I borrowed a broom from the camp host to sweep them up. It was dark by then, and on the way to the trash can to dispose of the seeds, our headlamps shined through the bushes ahead. All of a sudden there were two golden eyes staring back at us. That’s as far to the trash can as the sunflower seeds got, and we hightailed it back to the “safety” of our tent. The skunk was gone when we got back, so we settled down for the night, in our “half dome” tent, which is too low to stand up in.

We all three fell asleep in a short while, but I was awakened at about 3:00 a.m. to a low-pitched, deep growl outside the tent (on my side)! I tapped Frank and whispered to him that there was an animal outside, but he just kept snoring. I looked at Charlie and Charlie looked at me, and we both lay as still and quiet as two mice. When Frank finally woke up at about 4:00 a.m. we heard another loud snarl (still on my side of the tent). Frank yelled, “Get out of here!” and we never heard anything more.

By then it was impossible to go back to sleep, so at 5:00 a.m. we got up for the day and looked around the tent, but nothing was to be seen. The sun was up, and the weather was fresh and cool so we cooked our breakfast and talked about the events of the night. We guessed it might have been a bobcat, but when telling a ranger what happened he informed us that it was more than likely a mountain lion. It was so beautiful up there we had thought we would take one more day to enjoy it and had made arrangements to stay another night, but the closeness of skunks and a possible mountain lion encounter changed our minds. We packed our gear and arrived back home in Yuma safe and sound.

Our prayers for safety reminded us that, “The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.” Psalm 34:7.

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” I Peter 5:8.

Children’s Story – It Always Pays to be Kind

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Long ago, before Jesus was born, Elimelech and his wife Naomi lived in the town of Bethlehem. There was famine in the land, so in order to provide for his family, Elimelech packed up his belongings and, with his wife and their two sons, Mahlon and Chilion, moved to the foreign land of Moab to find work until the end of the drought. A few years later tragedy struck, and Naomi’s husband died, leaving her there in Moab with her sons. Naomi was so sad!

In time, the boys grew to be men and married two of the local girls, Ruth and Orpah. Everything seemed good for Naomi during the next ten years until both of her sons died. Naomi’s life seemed to be one of sorrow, with one tragedy after another, and she was left alone in a foreign land with her daughters-in-law.

At last she heard news that the drought had broken and there was food again in her hometown. With nothing to keep her in Moab, Naomi decided that it was time to go home to Bethlehem. Her daughters-in-law were still young, so she suggested that they go back to their family homes where she prayed that the Lord would care for them (Ruth 1:8, 9). She kissed them goodbye, and with weeping, Orpah went on her way, but Ruth clung to Naomi, pleading that she would not leave without her. She said, “Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God.” Ruth 1:16.

Ruth loved Naomi and could not bear the thought of being apart from her, and she was not willing that Naomi make the long trip home alone. By staying with Naomi, she returned the kindness shown her by her mother-in-law. Together they packed their bags and started on the long and dusty journey back to Bethlehem. When they entered the city there was great excitement at Naomi’s return. However, Naomi felt that the Lord had dealt bitterly with her, so she asked to be called Mara (meaning bitter), as almost everything had been taken away from her.

There were no men to provide for the family of Naomi and Ruth, so Ruth had to go out and work. It was the custom of the day that after the harvesters had gone through the fields to gather the grain, they would leave the corners of the fields for the poor people who were allowed to glean whatever was left. Ruth was one of the poor people who gathered grain in the field of Boaz, a very wealthy man who had large fields. Boaz was a kinsman of Elimelech, and when he saw Ruth working in his field, he made enquiry as to who she was and from where she came.

Boaz had heard of Ruth’s kindness towards Naomi, so he said to her, “Go not to glean in another field, neither go from hence, but abide here fast by my maidens. … It hath fully been shewed me, all that thou hast done unto thy mother in law since the death of thine husband: and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy nativity, and art come unto a people which thou knewest not heretofore. The Lord recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust.” Ruth 2:8, 11, 12.

Boaz not only spoke kindly to Ruth, but he also invited her to eat with him! He ordered his men to leave extra grain for her to gather, and when she returned home to Naomi that evening she was loaded with leftover food from her lunch and had nearly a bushel of grain! That was a lot! Ruth was so amazed at Boaz’ kindness. Naomi was as well, and blessed the Lord for His provision for the two widows (Ruth 2:20).

This story of Ruth, which starts with such a lot of death and sadness, ends with a lot of joy. Boaz married Ruth, and they had a son named Obed. Years later, Obed became the grandfather of King David and the great-great-great-great grandfather of Jesus. You can find the family tree of Jesus in Matthew, chapter 1, and see the names of Boaz and Ruth listed there in verse 5. Ruth, a young widow, by faith chose to cast in her lot with Naomi, her mother-in-law, left her own home to live in a foreign place (Bethlehem), and committed to worship a foreign God. In spite of her own personal circumstances she showed kindness, and the reward of her kindness was the honor to be listed in the family tree of the Saviour of the world!

Even greater than Naomi’s example of kindness shown to Ruth and Boaz’ kindness and generosity shown to Ruth and Naomi, is the kindness shown by God to this fallen world.

Just as God wrote a beautiful ending to the story of Ruth and Boaz, He wants to write an ending for each and every one of our lives. No matter what our circumstances, nothing is too hard for the Lord.

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me when ye shall search for me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:11–13.

Children’s Story – Carl & Grover

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Carl was trying hard not to cry. After all, he was almost nine years old, and he knew nine-year-old boys didn’t cry. But he felt like crying. He buried his face in Grover’s soft brown fur and felt better. Grover was his very best friend. Grover didn’t care that Carl couldn’t run and play like the other boys and girls at school. When Carl went tap, tap, tapping down the street with his crutches, Grover didn’t seem to mind at all. He would follow close behind or sometimes he would run ahead as fast as his four feet would carry him—and then come racing back to Carl.

And now Carl didn’t know what he was going to do, because Grover had to have a license, and the license cost $12.50 and Carl didn’t have $12.50. Carl didn’t have even fifty cents.

The animal control officer had told Carl that a new rule passed by the city council required all dogs to be registered and have a license. The license would be a small metal tag that would be fastened to a collar around the dog’s neck. If Grover didn’t have a license by next week, the man told Carl, he would have to take the dog to the animal shelter. No wonder Carl felt like crying! What would he do without Grover? How could he possibly buy a license by next week? Carl was going to lose his best friend because he didn’t have the money to keep his faithful companion!

Just then Carl remembered something he had heard his pastor say in church. The pastor had said that Jesus always hears our prayers. He had said that if boys and girls will pray to Jesus, He will hear and answer their prayers.

“That’s what I’ll do,” Carl said out loud. “I’ll pray and ask Jesus to let me keep Grover.”

After he had whispered a prayer, Carl felt better. He looked up and saw Tommy coming down the street. Now Grover was Carl’s very best friend, but Tommy was his very best human friend. Carl felt so much better after his short prayer to Jesus that he even smiled when he saw Tommy coming toward him—especially when he saw the big grin on Tommy’s face. It was clear that Tommy was a very, very happy boy.

“Why are you so happy?” Carl asked.

“I’m on my way to Mason’s Hardware Store,” Tommy told him. “I’m going to look at the new bicycle in the window one more time. It’s really a great bike. I’ve been saving and saving my money to buy it. I almost have enough. I think I’ll have enough money next week to buy it!”

Carl was happy for his friend. He couldn’t ride a bicycle himself, of course, since he had to walk with crutches. But he could imagine how much fun it would be.

Tommy sat down on the grass beside Carl and began to rub Grover’s head. Grover rolled over and wagged his tail. Carl told Tommy about Grover needing a license and how he had prayed to Jesus to help him. “Jesus is going to let me keep Grover,” he said. “I know He is.”

A few minutes later, Tommy got up and was on his way to the hardware store. But as he walked down the street, he kept thinking about Grover and Carl. He sure doesn’t have much to make him happy, Tommy thought to himself. It would break his heart to have to give up Grover.

Just then he arrived at the window where the precious bicycle stood. It was great just to look at it and think about flying down the street holding on to the handlebars! But then, a picture of Grover and Carl filled Tommy’s mind. He sighed, Someone has to buy that license, he thought to himself. Besides, it would be fun to help Jesus answer Carl’s prayer. He stood in front of the window thinking very hard. At last Tommy made a decision. The bicycle will just have to wait a little longer, he thought.

Running back to where he had left Carl a few minutes before, Tommy asked, “Carl, could Grover stay at my house just for tonight? Can I borrow him? I don’t have a dog, and it would be fun to keep Grover for a little while.”

Carl tightened his arms around his faithful friend. He wasn’t sure he wanted Grover staying overnight at Tommy’s house. “Won’t your mother mind?” he asked.

“She won’t mind,” Tommy assured him.

“Do you promise to take good care of him?” Carl asked. “You won’t forget to feed him or make sure he has lots of water to drink?”

“Of course, I’ll take good care of him,” Tommy insisted.

“OK,” Carl agreed. “If you’re sure you’ll take good care of him. But only for tonight.”

The next morning Carl sat on the top step of his back porch watching the neighborhood children play. He missed Grover, and he hoped Tommy would bring him back soon. He knew Jesus was going to answer his prayer. He had faith.

Then all at once Grover came bounding around the corner of the house. With a hop and jump, the excited dog was in his master’s arms. “Grover!” Carl exclaimed as his friend licked his face and wriggled happily. Then, as Carl was rubbing Grover’s fur, he felt something around the dog’s neck. It was a brand new collar! Carl looked at it carefully. Attached to the collar was a small metal disk—the license that the city required!

Carl let out a happy shout! Jesus had answered his prayer! “Thank You, Jesus,” he prayed.

A few blocks away, Tommy was sitting on his bedroom floor counting quarters and nickels and dimes. Beside him, turned upside down, was the jar he had been keeping his money in for weeks as he saved for the shiny bicycle in the window of Mason’s store. I’ll just have to keep saving a bit longer, Tommy thought to himself as he finished counting the coins. But I’m glad I helped Jesus answer Carl’s prayer. It was fun buying Grover’s license and collar—almost as much fun as it will be to ride my new bicycle. And he poured all the quarters and nickels and dimes back into his jar and put it in the far corner of his closet.

Storytime, Character-building Stories for Children, 22–25.

It truly is more blessed to give than to receive.

Children’s Story – Almost

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The dictionary defines the word almost as “very nearly, but not exactly or entirely.” As strange as it may sound at first, almost is a word that we are trying to curtail from our family’s vocabulary. Now, there’s nothing inherently wrong with the word itself; the almost mindset is the focus of our curtailing campaign.

Puzzled? I should probably illustrate our reasoning with an example.

We are blessed to be able to homeschool our two children in Montana. Homeschooling, though such a blessing, isn’t without its challenges. Some days they seem to have the perfect disposition. They seem to fly right through their schoolwork and can be finished by noon. Other times, we are forced back into … well, reality.

A few weeks ago, we were having one of those kinds of “real” days. The classes were needlessly dragging on due to lack of determined effort. Subjects that normally should take no more than thirty minutes were dragging on well past an hour. Instead of completing all the assignments, most were given just a half-hearted effort. When asked if they were finished yet, the regular reply from both children was “almost.”

Almost, almost, almost was repeated all the way until 5:00 p.m. when I needed to check out a house for rent in our area. The children had wanted to go with me all day, and now the moment had finally arrived. However, there was one big, glaring problem—their schoolwork still wasn’t finished!

“Can we go too, Dad?”

I thought, “Now is my opportunity to teach that lesson I’ve only inadequately conveyed during the day. Lord, help!”

“Well, it depends. Have you finished your schoolwork yet?”

“Almost,” was the duo’s expected response.

Without missing a beat, I said, “Good! Then you can almost go with me. Bye!”

I got in my car praying the whole way that the lesson would be understood. It was.

We don’t want our children to almost do their schoolwork and chores. Almost doesn’t count in any worldly activity. We get no points for almost making a soccer goal; there’s no presidency for almost winning an election.

This situation caused us to ponder—are we almost on the right path with God? Almost certainly isn’t good enough with God either!

Children, do you almost always obey your parents? Parents, are you almost always patient with your children? Are you almost all God’s, almost His completely? If that’s the case, then you will only almost be saved. Perhaps you might want to curtail the almost mindset in your family too.

Children’s Story – A Horse and the Hand of God

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Many years ago, long before there were cars, or motorized vehicles of any sort, there lived a young woman who loved the Lord with all her heart and chose to obey Him in all she did. Because of her dedication to the Lord, she was shown many wonderful things in visions and used by God in a marvelous way. Many things happened to this lovely lady that gave evidence of the protection and blessing of the “hand of God” over her life and ministry. This story is simply one of many exciting events that happened to her.

This particular story happened one day while riding in a wagon with her husband, Elder James White, and two other ministers. A partly broken colt was pulling the wagon. This colt had the reputation of being vicious, and in fact shortly prior to this had been the cause of a serious accident. But Elder White was a very skilled horseman, expert at breaking and managing horses, and he had no doubts about his ability to control the colt.

Elder White, with a tight rein, was focused on driving while Mrs. Ellen White, for such was her name, was conversing with the other two ministers about a Bible topic. All of a sudden she shouted, “Glory!” Immediately, the colt quietly dropped his head, stopped, and stood perfectly still. Now, you need to know that only a very relaxed, calm horse will stand quietly with his head dropped.

Mrs. White stood up in the wagon, stepped over the front, and laying her hand on the colt’s haunches stepped down to the shafts, to the wagon step, and hence to the ground. Alarmed, Captain Bates, one of the ministers in the wagon shouted out, “That colt will kick her to death!” Such was the colt’s reputation.

Calmly, Elder White replied, “The Lord has the colt in charge now; I don’t wish to interfere.” Typically the colt would have kicked violently if anything touched his haunches, but now he was standing as quiet as a lamb. Mrs. White climbed a six-foot embankment and pacing back and forth along the top, spoke aloud of the beauty of the earth made new.

During the time Mrs. White was up on the bank in vision, Elder White tested the colt in order to prove that he (the colt) was at that moment under the control of Divine power, the “hand of God.” He began by touching the colt lightly with the whip. The colt gave no recognition of being touched. In any other situation the colt would immediately have kicked. In increasingly hard blows Elder White struck the colt. But the vicious response never came; in fact the colt never stirred, but continued to stand perfectly still, docile and calm.

Later, Mrs. White, still not looking where she was going, but rather with her eyes directed heavenward, and still in vision, descended the bank, stepped up the wagon step and laying her hand once again on the haunches of the colt, thereby climbed back into the wagon; whereupon sitting down her vision ceased.

As soon as Mrs. White was seated the colt calmly lifted his head, and without any direction from the driver, quietly continued on his way. Reverently, Elder Bates said, “This is a solemn place.”

The Psalmist says, “For you, Lord, are the Most High over all the earth; you are exalted far above all gods. Let those who love the Lord hate evil, for he guards the lives of his faithful ones and delivers them from the hand of the wicked.“ Psalm 97:9-10.

In this and many other exciting situations the Lord protected and guided His faithful servant and gave proof of the validity of her experience and message.

There are many, many promises in the Bible of the Lord’s guidance and protection, but those promises always carry a condition, and that condition is love and obedience. Commit your lives to God, to obey Him and to be a servant for Him in whatever way He will choose today. Then you too, will be under the loving “hand of God.”

Story adapted from Stories of My Grandmother, by Ella M. Robinson.

Children’s Story – What Happened at a Funeral?

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Many years ago, James and Ellen White, while traveling, attended a funeral. Elder White had just finished speaking and his wife was sharing about the joyous reunion of loved ones at Jesus’ return when suddenly, she paused. Those listening looked up, wondering.

What a marvel they saw. Her expression had completely changed. She was no longer looking at them; she was looking upward, as if into the distance. They heard her exclaim, “Glory to God!” then lower and softer, “Glory to God!” and then a third time, as though from a great distance, “Glory to God!”

Ellen was in a heavenly vision. As usually happened when going into vision, she became very weak and needed support. Several people approached her to examine her. One exclaimed, “She’s not breathing!” It was true! Her heart was still beating. Her pulse was regular, but she was not breathing.

At that moment Mrs. White regained strength, stood up on her own and stepped forward, her face radiant. A man stepped towards her to steady her, but her weakness was gone. She was so strong no one could change her motions or direct her actions.

The congregation sat spellbound in awe. From time to time she uttered a word, a phrase, sometimes even a statement or question. As time went on, they began asking questions of Elder White.

At one point he said, “She is conversing with her accompanying angel. Often she has described him as a tall, majestic-appearing young man with a beautiful countenance and a musical voice.” He shared that in these visions she was shown many things, past, present and future. Sometimes she even seemed to be in heaven talking with Jesus and the angels.

Again silence reigned. Then a whisper was heard, clearly audible in the quiet room, “Heaven is near, very near!” Another voice spoke. “It seems as if we are listening at the open gate of heaven. If only we could catch a glimpse of the glory within, and hear the angel voices!”

Elder White replied, “Yes, Jesus has sent His angel direct from His throne to assure us that all His promises are true. … They all tell the same story: Jesus is coming back to this earth to bring an end to sin and sorrow and to set up His everlasting kingdom of righteousness and joy and peace.”

Suddenly, he was interrupted. A distressed voice whispered, “What can she be looking at now? It must be something terrible! See! She is wringing her hands as if in distress; and the expression of anguish on her face—what can it mean?” Elder White responded, “It must be that Mrs. White is looking at scenes of great suffering!”

All continued to watch and silently wait. In time, her expression changed again. A pleased look came over her face.

For two hours the sorrow, the funeral, the coffin, all were forgotten. God was speaking through “the weakest of the weak” to give comfort, hope and instruction to His believing people on earth.

For two hours Mrs. White had not drawn a breath, but now she took a full deep breath; then, after a brief pause, another, and then a third. She became aware of her surroundings. People began asking what she had seen and heard. But she could not talk—not yet; what she had seen was too solemn.

The funeral completed, the White’s continued their journey home. While traveling Mrs. White shared with her husband things she had seen in the vision. She said, “As soon as I get some very important letters written, I’ll begin to write it out.” James added, “We’ll print it in a little book and send it out through the mail.”

But Satan did not want it written out. At one stop on their journey Mrs. White had a severe stroke. A strange sensation entered her mouth. Her tongue seemed thick and numb. A chill passed over her head, down her right side, and she lost consciousness. When she came to, she tried, but could not rise. What would she do? They were not even home yet. She decided they would travel on. Soon they were on their way to the train station and a two-hour ride to Battle Creek and home.

For weeks, she could not take one unaided step or feel the coldest water on her head. Yet she could not forget the command God had given her to write out the vision. She requested writing materials and, with all the strength she could muster, wrote a few sentences and that day completed one page. Daily she wrote. She would not give up. She had been warned, “Satan would try to prevent my writing out the vision because it exposes his secret plans to deceive people and lead them to destruction. But I have been promised that angels will strengthen me.” And strengthen her they did.

Those writings eventually became a wonderful story, in five volumes, The Conflict of the Ages. It tells of the beginnings of sin and sorrow, begun in heaven, then brought to this earth. It tells of the covenant of God the Father and Jesus to offer fallen man salvation. It shows Jesus’ great battle with Satan while here on earth. It describes the intense interest of the heavenly beings in this “great controversy” and the wonder and adoration of the entire universe in seeing the unspeakable love of God and Jesus for this race of rebels. And ultimately these writings instruct and guide God’s true followers through the troublous times ahead to the glorious restoration of the universe to its original pure, free, beautiful and perfect state. What a wonderful God we serve.