Oct 18, 20192 min
Published 10/18/19
101 Five-Minute Meal Time Devotions: Fun and Creative Ways
to Teach your Kids Spiritual Values
By Greg Johnson
What If...
It’s getting close to Christmas and you’ve been giving us hints about what you want—a bike!
Not just any bike, of course. A red twelve-speed. Since you’re getting older, you think you’re ready for something bigger, something you can ride to visit a friend who lives a long way away. While at Sears last week, you even showed us the exact model you want. We smiled, looked at each other, but didn’t make any promises.
“Things are pretty tight financially,” we said. “I don’t think we can pull it off this year.”
Well, we’ve said stuff like that before just to throw you off the trail. You still think there’s a good chance we’ll get it for you.
Christmas morning finally arrives. You get up before anyone else and race out to the living room.
No bike.
You run to the garage to see if we’ve hidden it there.
No bike.
As you head back to the living room, Mom says, “Looking for the bike? Well, like I said, we just couldn’t afford it. Sorry, honey.”
The presents you do get are pretty good, but you’re still disappointed the bike didn’t come.
Later in the day a couple of friends call and tell you about the cool new bikes they got. They want to ride over to your house right now.
Questions to Think On
• What would you be thinking if this really happened?
• Would you be jealous of your friends or happy for them? (Be honest.)
• Having your hopes let down isn’t easy. Though we never promised a new
bike, is there anything different we could have done so you wouldn’t
have been let down so hard?
• How are you going to act and what will you say when your friends come
over?
What Does God Have to Say?
Rejoice with those who rejoice, mourn with those who mourn.
I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.
(c)