jesusandmary

Debbie and Randy were bouncing their red ball in the back yard. Suddenly they heard a tiny sound.

"Listen!" Randy said. "What was that?" The small sound came again.

"It's a kitten," Debbie cried, running toward the hedge. "Let's find it."

Debbie and Randy looked in the hedge. The kitten was not there.

Randy looked in the tree near the hedge. "Here it is," he cried.

Randy put up his arms but he could not reach the kitten.

Randy ran and brought a chair from the porch. He put the chair near the tree.

Debbie held the chair while Randy climbed on it.

Then Randy reached up and took the kitten in his arms. Debbie petted the soft, gray kitten. "Oh, he must be hungry," she said. "Let's give him some milk."

They took the kitten to the kitchen and asked Mother for some milk. The kitten drank the milk quickly.

Then it curled up on Debbie's lap and went to sleep.

"May we keep the kitten, Mommy?" Randy asked.

"We'll see," Mother answered. "Tomorrow we will ask the neighbors if the lost kitten belongs to them."

"It must have been lost a long time," Randy said, "because it is so thin."

"I wouldn't like to be lost," said Debbie.

Mother put down her sewing. "No, it isn't nice to be lost like the kitten was," Mother said.

"No, Randy," Mother answered. "God loves us. That is why He sent His Son, the Lord Jesus, into the world. Jesus came to seek and to save that which was lost."

"Tell us about Jesus dying on the cross," Randy said.

"I know that. Let me tell it, Mom," Debbie said eagerly. Mother nodded, so Debbie began, "Jesus loved us so much He just had to come down and help us. He came as a little baby. When He got big, He died on the cross for us, so we could go to Heaven. But He didn't stay dead. He rose again."

"Yes, children," Mother said. "God tells us in the Bible that we have all sinned.

"That means we have done wrong things. And sin must be punished. So, because the Lord Jesus loved us, He took the punishment for us. He died on the cross for your sins and for mine."

"I'm glad Jesus loves me," said Debbie, "and I'm glad I asked Him to come into my heart."

Randy was very quiet. Then he said, "I know I have done bad things. I want to take Jesus as my Savior, but I don't know how."

"Well," said Mother, "Tell Jesus that you have sinned and that you are sorry for your sins. Thank Him for loving you and for dying on the cross for your sins. Ask Him to come into your heart to be your Savior. Would you like to do this right now?"

"Yes, I sure would," said Randy. He bowed his head and prayed, "Lord Jesus, I know that I have sinned. I'm really sorry for my sins. Thank You for loving me so much and for dying on the cross for my sins. Please come into my heart. I am taking You as my Savior right now."

Randy looked up and smiled. "That's wonderful, Randy!" said Mother. "I'm so glad you have taken Jesus as your Savior."

"I'm glad too," said Randy, "because now I belong to Jesus."

"I'm glad I belong to Jesus, too," said Debbie. "And, Mom, I think the little kitten would like to belong to us, don't you?"

Mother smiled. "Yes, Debbie," she agreed. "I think it would."

"He is such a little scrap of a kitten," Randy said. "Let's call him Scrappy."

"Oh, yes," said Debbie. She held the kitten close as she added, "And, little Scrappy, I hope you will love us just like we love you."

"That reminds me of a Bible verse I want you to learn," Mother told them. "It tells us that because the Lord Jesus loves us, we should love Him too."

Randy and Debbie liked the verse. They learned it quickly.

Then they said their prayers and went to bed.

IKKLIKJA FUQ IL-VLEGGA BIEX TMUR FUQ  IL-MESSAGG TAL-LEZZJONI.