The Gift Of An Idea

TODAY: Help us listen to children and take opportunities to share God's unconditional love. Remember an experience when your help came from an unlikely place or person. Today let's thank God for children and for those who have loved us when we most needed it. Pray that God will open our eyes and heart to see where there is a need and empower us to answer God's call.

This year the church had a new outreach project for children. Books that were purchased would be recorded on tape by the donor. This enabled the children to practice reading a book while listening to the same book on tape. This project gave our family an additional gift. While Dave and I recorded our books, we decided to make copies for our grandchildren who live in Kentucky and Delaware. The distance has made it more difficult to share our love of reading on a regular basis. How would these Christmas gifts be received by the grandchildren we love?

One Sunday in December we arrived in Delaware to celebrate Christmas together. This time with our family is always a joy, especially because our son, Brad, was able to go with us. Time was spent opening the "things" that are a part of Christmas. Then Caitlin and Amanda took my hand to go upstairs to their room. After dolls were dressed, they wanted to hear the tapes and look at the books. Time was spent listening to/reading The Runaway Bunny. Then we talked about how much the mommy loved the little bunny and even if he wanted to run away, he could never get away from his mother's love.

This story reminds me of Psalm 139 that teaches us that God knows everything about us, and his love will always be with us wherever we go. While listening/reading The Little Engine that Could, I thought about other stories of the Bible. The story of the Good Samaritan entered my mind. In both, there is a need for help that is not given by those with experience or position - strong engines or Levites. The help comes from the one who is willing to try, hears a call to help, is a caregiver and thinks about the other instead of himself.

Caitlin and Amanda then interviewed me about narrating the book. Their questions gave me the opportunity to explain the service project and talk about reaching out to others. They asked wonderful questions about favorite parts of the book, how it made me feel, how the characters felt. It was an incredible gift to have the time to experience their imagination, thoughtfulness and caring. A little seed was planted that related the lessons and values of the books to songs and parables in the Bible. One that can be reinforced.

Let us look for ways to incorporate our faith into our daily lives and those of the people in our circle of care. God bless all children everywhere.

— Carol Yoho

Courtesy of The Church of the Good Shepherd United Methodist