BEING THANKFUL
   
We've just come through another Thanksgiving weekend.  Did you know that Thanksgiving Day isn't just a day for eating a huge meal.  It isn't just for watching a parade or football on TV.  It isn't just another day to have time off school.  It's a day set aside specifically for giving thanks to God for all His blessings.  But, some people forget to thank God for all He's done, especially when they're going through some hard things.  Listen to this story about Kiersten . . . .
 
Kiersten had a bad day where everything seemed to go wrong.  She put a run in her stockings when she was getting dressed.  She dribbled toothpaste down her navy blue dress.  She missed the bus and was late to school.  On the way home from school, a big boy in the back of the bus shoved her and made her fall.  When she got home, she found that her pet gerbil had died.  It was just too much.  Kiersten ran to her mother and told her all that had happened.
 
Kiersten said to her mom, "I don't think God loves me anymore." 
 
"You know better than that," her mom said.  "Just because some things go wrong doesn't mean that God doesn't love us anymore or that He doesn't care.  He allows these things to happen to us for a reason.  God always has a perfect plan and a reason for everything."
 
Then Kiersten's mom handed her a piece of paper and a fine-point red marker.  She told Kiersten to make a list of all the things that she felt went wrong that day.  When Kiersten had finished that, her mom gave her another piece of paper and told her to write down all the good things that God had done for her that day, all the things that she should be thankful for.
 
Kiersten thought for a minute and then said to her mom, "I can't think of anything to write.  God seemed so far away today."
 
To this her mother said, "God may have seemed far away, but He wasn't.  He was with you all day, Kiersten.  Since you asked Jesus to be your Savior, He has promised never to leave you.  Think about it some more Kiersten.  What's that all around your head?  What's that you're wearing?"
 
"Oh, yes," Kiersten said.  "I have clean air to breath and clothes to wear.  I have parents that love me and food to eat and a house to live in and a bed to sleep in and eyes to see with and friends to play with."
 
Mom said, "Yes, those are all good things that God has blessed you with.  God has also given you a spirit or soul.  What has He given you for that?"
 
"Jesus!" Kiersten shouted with a smile on her face.  "And a Bible, and a church, and a Sunday School teacher."
 
Kiersten's mom helped her to see that, even when we have bad days, we still have so much to be thankful for.  We need to remember to thank God for all He's done.
 
Can you make a list of things that you are thankful to God for?  Have you ever thanked God for sending His Son Jesus to be the Savior who died on the cross to pay for our sins?  The Bible says in John 3:16, "For God so loved the world (that includes you), that He gave His only begotten Son (the Lord Jesus), that whosoever believeth in Him (believes that Jesus is the only way you can be saved from your sin) should not perish (be separated from God), but have everlasting life (life that lasts forever with God in Heaven)."  If you've never before received Jesus as your personal Savior, why not do that today.
 
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If you have any questions about this Mousetales story or if you want to talk further about receiving Jesus as your Savior, please e-mail Miss Missy at cef-cm@bwkip.com
 
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Mousetales is a ministry of Child Evangelism Fellowship of Columbia-Montour Counties, PA.