By Keys For Kids Ministries
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Bible Reading: Matthew 11:28-30
Editor's note: This story's subject matter may not be suitable for young children.
Jade kicked pebbles out of her path as she walked home from school, wondering what she should do. I'm going to tell Mom, she finally decided.
When she got home, Jade approached her mother. "Mom, I…I have to tell you something."
"Okay, honey," said Mom. "Is something wrong?"
"Well--it's Erin." Once Jade got started the words just tumbled out. "Ever since her uncle moved in with her and her parents, she's been acting strange. She used to be really bubbly and outgoing, but now she hardly talks to anyone. And she doesn't seem to ever want to go home after school--I've seen her doing homework at the park some days. I think it might be because she doesn't want to be alone with her uncle before her parents get home from work." Jade stopped and took a big gulp of air. "I…I think he might be doing bad stuff to her when he gets her alone." Tears welled up in Jade's eyes. "I don't know for sure--she hasn't said anything--but I've noticed some bruises on her arms, and she never has a good answer for how she got them."
Mom looked very serious. "You were right to tell me," she said, putting an arm around Jade. "I'll go make some phone calls--if her uncle is doing something to her, he needs to be stopped."
"But what if Erin is afraid to tell anyone because her parents will think it's her fault?" Jade asked tearfully. "I don't want to get her in trouble."
"If Erin's parents find out her uncle has been hurting her, I'm sure they'll be very sad and angry--but not angry with her," said Mom. "Her uncle would be the one responsible--it's not Erin's fault at all." Mom gave Jade a hug. "Erin must feel like she's carrying a heavy burden. But with God's help and good friends like you supporting her, I know she can work through the difficulties that may still be ahead because of what happened. Jesus loves her so much, and He wants to take that heavy burden from her. He's put you and her parents and others in her life to love her and help her so she won't need to carry that burden alone anymore. Let's pray that Erin will look to Jesus for the love and help she needs too."
–Marie Shropshire
How About You?Bible Reading: 2 Samuel 22:3-4; Psalm 3:3-5; Ephesians 6:10-15
"I don't want to go in there," Natalie said outside the door to one of the rooms in the aquarium. "It's full of sharks."
"Oh, come on, Nat," said Hunter. "The sharks are behind glass."
"It's perfectly safe," Dad assured her. "Hunter is right. Those walls shield you from the sharks. There's no way they can get out."
Despite Dad's words, Natalie clutched Mom's hand as they walked in. On either side of the aisle, glass walls rose from floor to ceiling, and beyond the glass was a magnificent reproduction of life beneath the sea. Natalie felt like she had sunk to the floor of the ocean. Hundreds of glittering fish swam about, taking no notice of her.
"Look!" she exclaimed. "There's a giant sea turtle!" Natalie stepped forward and watched with her face close to the glass as the turtle swam away. Then a dark shape emerged from the dim shadow at the side of the tank. It grew larger and larger as it swam toward her. "A shark!" screamed Natalie. She darted back as the creature glided by right in front of her eyes. She knew there was really nothing to be afraid of, but she was glad when they left the area.
That evening there was a lot of excited chatter at dinner. "I still don't like those sharks," said Natalie. "They'd probably like to sink their teeth into us!"
Hunter shook his head. "Shark attacks are rare because humans don't taste good to sharks. Attacks only happen when sharks mix us up with their normal food."
"Well, I still felt better having that thick glass for protection," said Natalie.
"You know, God is like that thick glass," said Dad. "The Bible says He is our shield. When we face attacks from Satan or from others who want to harm us, God is our protection."
Mom nodded. "Because Jesus saved us, we are always safe in His hands, even when bad things happen. He is always with us and helps us stand firm against Satan's lies. Didn't you feel safer with the sharks at the aquarium knowing there was a thick shield of glass?"
"Yeah," said Natalie. "That means I can be more confident in other scary situations knowing that God is with me as my shield!"
–Ellen C. Orr
How About You?Bible Reading: Romans 15:1-7; Galatians 6:2
"What happened to Ezra?" Laura asked as she worked with her brother in the garden. "Why doesn't he come over anymore?"
"I don't know," said Orson. He settled back on his heels. "Ezra changed a lot when his parents got divorced. He started hanging with another group of kids, so I don't see him that much anymore."
"But you still see him at church, right?" asked Laura.
"Not really," said Orson. "He hasn't come in a long time." He sighed and started pulling weeds again. "Whatever. I'm not going to go out of my way to be friends with him if he's not interested."
"Watch what you're doing!" Laura exclaimed. "That's one of Mom's lavender plants you're trying to pull up."
"But it's dead," said Orson. "And stuck too. I can't get it out."
Laura knelt beside him. "Look. It's not really dead. There's a little green on it down here." She pointed to a little sprout. "And it's stuck because lavender plants put their roots down deep."
"Well, if it isn't dead, then why does it look like this?" said Orson.
Laura shrugged. "It had a hard winter, I guess. We'll just have to take special care of it now." She grinned. "Mom would say it needs TLC--tender, loving care."
Orson sat and stared at the plant until Laura finally nudged him. "Hey, get back to work!"
Orson wiped his forehead. "I was just thinking--maybe Ezra needs TLC too. He's had a rough time lately, so maybe I should be taking special care of him."
"I think you're right," said Laura. "It sounds like he needs a friend to stick with him through everything he's going through." She yanked a weed out of the ground. "One of the ways God shows His love to us is through our friends, remember? Pastor Jennings talked about that. He said Jesus is the most faithful friend of all, and since we know Him and have His Spirit in us, we can be faithful friends too."
"Yeah," said Orson. "I'll tell Ezra I miss seeing him around. Maybe I'll see if he wants to come over after school tomorrow." He repacked dirt around the base of the lavender plant, taking care to be mindful of the little green sprout. "And I'll pray for him too."
–Barbara J. Westberg
How About You?Bible Reading: Ephesians 5:1-4; 1 Peter 1:13-16
Alvaro angrily stomped into the room. Papá looked up from his computer.
"Tell Miguel to quit copying me!" said Alvaro, crossing his arms over his chest. "He's always following me around, and he tries to do everything I do." As Papá closed his laptop, Miguel rushed into the living room. He marched over to his brother and promptly crossed his arms too. "See what I mean?" said Alvaro as Miguel stared up at him.
"Miguel," said Papá, "give Alvaro a bit of space." Then Papá looked at Alvaro. "Miguel copies you because he wants to be like you."
Alvaro frowned. "I don't like copycats."
"You don't? Well, the Bible says we should all be copycats." Papá picked up his Bible from the coffee table and opened it. "Here," he said. "Read Ephesians 5:1 out loud for us."
Alvaro took the Bible and looked at the verse Papá indicated. "Therefore be imitators of God as dear children," he read.
"What do imitators do?" Papá asked. Alvaro shrugged. Miguel shrugged too. "They copy," said Papá. "We're supposed to copy God." Papá smiled at the boys. "Miguel loves you, Alvaro, and he shows it by wanting to do the same things you do. That's the same way we show our love for God. Jesus lived a perfect life of love and sacrifice when He came to earth to die for our sins. We can't copy Him perfectly, but through the power of the Holy Spirit, who is helping us grow to be more like Him, we can imitate Jesus by showing others His love in our actions and attitudes."
Alvaro scratched his head. Giggling, Miguel did the same. Then Alvaro gave his brother a quick, playful punch on the shoulder. Miguel punched back. He squealed as Alvaro tackled him, and together they fell to the floor, laughing.
Papá laughed too. "Okay, you two. Miguel, no more copying Alvaro right now. Leave him alone for a while. And let's all remember to be imitators of God by trusting Him to help us copy Jesus."
"Okay," Miguel said.
"Okay," Alvaro said with a mischievous grin.
"Okay!" Papá chimed in, and they all laughed."
–Carol A. deCesare
How About You?Bible Reading: Ecclesiastes 3:1-4; Revelation 21:1-4
Jill sat on the bench in her backyard and kicked at the dead leaves around her feet. This was one of the worst days of her life. She'd just found out that Aunt Karen had died from cancer.
Jill slumped against the back of the bench and thought about how Aunt Karen would often go shopping and out to lunch with Jill and her mom on Saturdays before she got sick. They called it their ladies' day out. A tear ran down Jill's cheek as she realized that now they would never have another adventure with the three of them again.
Just then Mom came out of the house and sat down on the bench. She took Jill in her arms and they both sat there and cried. After a while Jill sat up and wiped her eyes. "Mom, will my heart always hurt this bad? Will it ever get better?"
Mom wiped her own eyes and cleared her throat. "We both loved Aunt Karen and will miss her very much. The Bible says there's a time and a season for everything, and right now it's our time to mourn." She took a deep breath. "At least we can be glad knowing she's no longer suffering and that one day we'll see her again."
"I'm having a hard time feeling glad about anything right now," said Jill. "It feels like I'll be mourning forever." She began kicking at the dead leaves on the ground again.
Mom looked up to the trees above them. "Jill, look at all the trees losing their leaves! Do you think they'll ever get them back?"
Jill gave her mom a funny look. "Of course they will, Mom. The trees will grow new leaves in the spring. You know that."
"Yes," said Mom. "The trees lose their leaves because they go through seasons--and we go through seasons in our lives. Some are good and others difficult, but Jesus is always there with us through all of them. We can trust Him to carry us through this season of mourning, knowing it won't last forever. Seasons change, and one day, when we finally see Jesus face-to-face, all our troubles and sadness will be gone for good." Mom put her arm around Jill. "Trust that God will never leave you or forget you, no matter what season you're in."
–Melissa Yeagle
How About You?Bible Reading: 1 Corinthians 10:13; James 1:12-15
Carter helped his older brother Nate pull and heave their boat to the water's edge. Then Nate looked over the items in the boat. "Fishing poles, net, tackle box. I think we're ready." The boys jumped in the boat and headed for the other side of the lake.
"What color lure should I use?" asked Carter as he looked at the rows of colorful fishing lures in the tackle box. "There's green, pink, blue, and yellow twisty tales. I'll try this bright pink one. I want to catch a big trout."
Carter cast out his line in hopes of a bite. He settled back in his seat, enjoying the rocking of the boat.
"I have a fish!" he yelled a while later. He started reeling his line. The fish fought and struggled, but Carter soon had his first fish in the boat.
"Look at that big trout!" said Nate. "Pink must be the color to use."
Carter grinned and threw his line back in. A few minutes later his pole jerked again. "It's another one," he said excitedly, scooting to the edge of his seat. He reeled his line as fast as he could, but this time he heard a sickening snap.
"My line broke!" he wailed. "It was a big one too. Maybe I can still get it."
Soon his line was back in the water with another pink twisty tale. Both boys sat quietly and waited.
"You know," said Nate, breaking the silence. "Fishing reminds me of our spiritual lives. We use bright colors hoping the fish will notice our lures and bite. The fish think it's a tasty worm, but it's really only a plastic lure with a hook. They don't know there's a hook until they bite, and then it's too late."
"Unless the line breaks," Carter said with a laugh.
Nate grinned. "That's how sin is. It looks attractive, but once we bite, we find out how much of a mess it makes. That's why we need to remember that Jesus freed us from sin and trust Him to help us resist its bright lure."
Carter nodded thoughtfully. "That's a good lesson." Then, with a twinkle in his eye, he said, "Now I just need to give you a lesson on how to catch fish!"
–Kristi Yutzy
How About You?Bible Reading: John 13:34-35; 1 John 4:20-21
Charlotte was sitting on the couch doing homework when her little brother, Georgie, came bounding into the room. "Incoming!" he shouted as he leapt onto the couch, right into her lap.
"Georgie! Get off me!" shouted Charlotte and she pushed him away. Georgie fell off the couch and started to cry.
Mom came into the room. "What did you do, Charlotte?" she asked.
"Nothing!" replied Charlotte. "He's the one who jumped on me, and look! He ripped the page of my textbook! I always get blamed for everything." She stomped to her room and slammed the door behind her.
A little while later, Mom paid her a visit. "What's going on, Charlotte? Why are you so angry at your brother?" she asked softly.
"He's so annoying!" Charlotte exclaimed. "And he never leaves me alone."
"You know that's because he loves you, don't you?" said Mom.
"Well, I don't love him," said Charlotte flatly.
"You may not always like what Georgie does, but you can still love him," said Mom. "Love isn't a feeling, Charlotte, it's a choice. As Christians, we choose to love others because God loved us first and sent Jesus to save us from sin. Because of Him, you can choose to act in a loving way toward your brother, even if you don't feel like it."
Later that day, Charlotte was reading in a chair on the driveway while Georgie rode his bike. "Look at me, Charlotte!" he shouted as he raced around. Charlotte ignored him. She was still mad.
Suddenly, Charlotte heard the squeal of tires as a car rounded the bend too fast. Georgie was headed right for the road! Charlotte jumped up, ran down the driveway, and pushed Georgie off his bike and into the grass. The speeding car went up onto the curb and hit their mailbox. Charlotte scooped her startled brother into her arms and buried her face in his hair. Her heart was beating wildly.
That evening, Georgie told their dad all about the day's excitement. "Charlotte saved me, Daddy!" he exclaimed as he hugged Charlotte's legs.
Mom gently embraced them both. "Thank you for choosing love, Charlotte," she whispered and gave them each a kiss.
–Laura Kuehn
How About You?Bible Reading: Ephesians 4:26-32
Willa was so upset at her sister Margot. All week long she'd been using Willa's things without asking, and today she had taken one of Willa's best shirts and worn it to school. As she walked into the house, Willa felt like her temper was about to explode. She slammed her backpack down on a kitchen chair, and it tumbled to the floor. Willa let out an exasperated scream.
"Willa, please sit down and cool off," Mom said. She poured two glasses of lemonade and sat down next to her. "Did I ever tell you about the summer my friend Carolee and I rented a small cottage by the lake for a week?" Mom asked.
Willa sniffed. "No, but that sounds like it would be fun."
Mom nodded. "It was great--until we decided to bake cookies one day. I opened the oven of the old gas stove while Carolee lit a match. It didn't light right away, but then, all of a sudden…WHOOSH! A bright yellow flash lit up the whole oven."
"Were you hurt?" asked Willa, wide-eyed.
"We both had deep burns." Mom rolled up her sleeve and pointed at a pink scar on her forearm. "We learned later that the oven hadn't been used for a long time, and little by little, dirt had clogged the gas line. When the gas forced its way through, it came with a rush and caused an explosion." Mom sipped her lemonade. "Do you know why I told you this story?"
Willa studied her fingernails. "Because my temper exploded?"
Mom nodded. "Anger we allow to build up in our lives will eventually cause an explosion. But when we recognize our emotions and surrender them to Jesus, He will help us deal with our anger. He always forgives us when we act out of anger and will help us forgive others."
Willa sighed. "But Margot makes me so mad sometimes!"
"I know. I'm not saying you should never feel upset with anyone, because that's impossible. Just remember that Jesus understands how you feel. He loves you and wants to help you work things out."
Willa didn't want her anger to explode again. "Do you think you can help me talk to Margot and fix it?" She looked up and saw a smile on her mom's face.
–Nance E. Keyes
How About You?Bible Reading: Nehemiah 9:6; Psalm 121; Colossians 1:15-16
Maia was excited! She and her dad were going on an all-day excursion to the city zoo. "I love watching all the animals, but the penguins are my favorites," she said. "They look so funny strutting around on land, and it's even more fun to watch them swim. They look like they're flying underwater!" Whenever she went swimming herself, Maia would try to imitate the smooth, flowing motions of the birds.
At the zoo, a guide explained how the penguin room was kept cold so the birds would be comfortable. "Otherwise," he said, "the birds would get sick and possibly even die from the change of climate." Maia listened eagerly as he described a number of other special things that were done to keep the penguins comfortable and healthy.
That evening for devotions, Dad read Psalm 121. "How do these verses remind you of those penguins?" he asked after reading the psalm. "Remember how careful the zookeepers are in taking care of them?"
Maia nodded. "They make sure they get the foods they need, and they keep the room at the right temperature and even have special lights for them! The zookeepers know how to keep the conditions just right so the penguins won't get sick."
"Yes, and this psalm reminds me that God does the same thing for us," said Dad. "The Bible explains how God not only created our world with the conditions perfect for life but sustains it, meaning He controls everything and watches over us. The zookeepers don't just put the penguins in a tank and leave them be--they monitor them with care and loving attention."
"So God takes care of us, just like the zookeepers take care of the penguins," said Maia. "I think one of the verses in that psalm says God is our keeper, doesn't it?"
Dad nodded. "God is in control of both our physical environment and all the situations that affect our lives. He is a good and loving keeper who gives us all we need--including forgiveness, peace, and eternal life--through His Son, Jesus. Even when hard things happen, we can trust that God will work everything out for our good."
"Yeah," said Maia thoughtfully. Then a smile spread across her face. "I think we should go to the zoo more often to remind ourselves of that!"
–Deborah S. Marett
How About You?Bible Reading: Romans 6:5-7; Galatians 2:19-21
"You're so funny!" Shiloh laughed as his grandpa juggled three strawberries then caught one in his mouth. "Was he always like this, Dad?"
The two men looked at each other before Grandpa shook his head. "I wasn't a very good person when your dad was growing up."
Shiloh turned to his dad, expecting him to argue and say that Grandpa was just being humble. Dad didn't speak up though, just continued pouring cream into the bowl in front of him.
"The way that I was, and the way that I changed…" Grandpa handed Shiloh a strawberry. "It shows the power of God and how He can change anyone." Grandpa looked to Shiloh's dad, who was holding a whisk. "Look in that bowl, Shiloh."
He did, and he saw a whole lot of liquid. It looked like milk, but thicker.
"Start mixing," Grandpa told Dad. He put a hand on Shiloh's shoulder as Dad began whisking the liquid. "Once I trusted in Jesus to save me, I started to see that I needed to change my life. I saw all the things I was doing that were really selfish and how your dad needed me to be better."
Shiloh frowned. "You've always been nice to me. I only remember you being funny and kind and a good guy."
"Thank you." Grandpa chuckled. "I don't know if that's necessarily true, but thank you. It's all because of God." Grandpa pointed to the bowl in front of Dad. "Look at that!"
Shiloh looked and saw that the cream in the bowl was now thick and fluffy.
"Your dad transformed that cream into something else completely," Grandpa said. "Pouring liquid cream over these strawberries wouldn't be any good, but just wait until he serves them with that whipped cream after dinner--you're going to love it! And through the power of the Holy Spirit, who came into my life when I trusted in Jesus, God transformed me and made me into something different altogether. I feel bad that your dad only knew a worse version of me when he was young, but I'm thankful that God showed me grace."
Dad put an arm around Grandpa. "He shows grace to all of us."
–Emily Acker
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