O Lord, Save My Life from the book Story Time At The Altar 86 Messages For Children Elaine M. Ward
Object: a picture of an eagle.
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There once was an eagle, a large, strong eagle who would stretch her wings and soar on the air.

(Show a picture of an eagle.)

One day she stopped soaring and was not seen for some time. The next time she took to the sky she carried on her back a baby bird, a small eaglet. Suddenly the eaglet fell. Down, down, down. It fell ... until it opened its tiny wings and flew.

However, its wings were weak and the wind was strong. The baby bird was tired and again it dropped faster and faster toward the ground, down, down, down ... until the mother eagle flew beneath her baby and caught it on her back. Then she soared higher into the sky for a second try.

Again she dropped the eaglet. Again it opened its wings to face the wind, and again it grew tired and began to drop, down, down, down ... but the mother was there.

So little by little, the eaglet learned to fly.

Talk together: In the Bible, the psalmist prayed, "O Lord, save my life," and the prophet Isaiah saw God as a mother who cares for and comforts her children. (If boys say, "God is a man, not a 'mother,' " read Jesus' words in Matthew 23:37.)

Prayer: Dear God, you are our Parent, Creator, Rock, and Mystery, who comforts and teaches us like a mother. We give you our praise and our thanks. Amen.