Opened Eyes
Children's sermon
Story Time At The Altar
86 Messages For Children
Once upon a time a grandfather gave his granddaughter, about your age, not a pony, nor a puppy, nor a pretty dress, but a cup with dirt in it. He filled Dinah's toy teapot with water and said, "Every day pour a bit of water in the dirt in the cup."
So Dinah did. It didn't make any sense, pouring water into the dirt every day but Dinah loved her grandfather, so she did what he said. But soon she forgot. Sometimes she would have to get up out of her warm covers at night and in her bare feet cross the cold floor to water the dirt with her toy teapot.
Dinah asked her grandfather, "Is it time to stop?" He replied, "No." By the fourth week Dinah tried to give the cup back to her grandfather but he said, "Be faithful."
The next morning, when Dinah woke up, something was different. There was something green in her cup. Was it magic? Dinah went closer and saw two tiny green leaves coming up out of the dirt.
Day by day they grew. She could hardly wait to tell Grandpa. When Grandpa came, she cried, "Look! Look what grew!" But Grandpa knew. He said, "Life is hidden in the most surprising places."
"And, Grandpa, all it needed was water." Grandpa took Dinah on his lap. "No, Dinah, all it needed was trust and patience."
Talk together: Show a cup of dirt and ask, "What do you think is in here? What might happen? Why?" Is it hard to wait? To trust?
Prayer: Dear God, open our eyes so we may see more than what we see, that we may see your invisible spirit, your breath of life in all living things, and we give you thanks. Amen.
So Dinah did. It didn't make any sense, pouring water into the dirt every day but Dinah loved her grandfather, so she did what he said. But soon she forgot. Sometimes she would have to get up out of her warm covers at night and in her bare feet cross the cold floor to water the dirt with her toy teapot.
Dinah asked her grandfather, "Is it time to stop?" He replied, "No." By the fourth week Dinah tried to give the cup back to her grandfather but he said, "Be faithful."
The next morning, when Dinah woke up, something was different. There was something green in her cup. Was it magic? Dinah went closer and saw two tiny green leaves coming up out of the dirt.
Day by day they grew. She could hardly wait to tell Grandpa. When Grandpa came, she cried, "Look! Look what grew!" But Grandpa knew. He said, "Life is hidden in the most surprising places."
"And, Grandpa, all it needed was water." Grandpa took Dinah on his lap. "No, Dinah, all it needed was trust and patience."
Talk together: Show a cup of dirt and ask, "What do you think is in here? What might happen? Why?" Is it hard to wait? To trust?
Prayer: Dear God, open our eyes so we may see more than what we see, that we may see your invisible spirit, your breath of life in all living things, and we give you thanks. Amen.
