In the middle of a bright, peaceful
jungle filled with birds that sang and flowers that danced in the breeze lived
a little elephant named Ellie. She had the softest gray ears, a wiggly trunk,
and a heart full of curiosity.
Ellie loved her jungle home. She
loved splashing in the river, playing tag with monkeys, and taking long walks
with her mama.
But Ellie always had questions—big
ones!
“Mama,” Ellie asked one day as they
walked under the trees, “who made the river sparkle? Who painted the sky so
blue?”
Her mama smiled. “God did, sweet
Ellie. He made everything. The trees, the birds, the sun, even you.”
“Even me?” Ellie gasped.
“Even you,” Mama said gently. “And
He loves you very much.”
Ellie thought about that all day.
That night, as the stars came out
and fireflies blinked in the dark, Ellie snuggled up next to Mama and asked
another question.
“Mama, can I talk to God?”
Mama nodded. “Yes, baby. That’s
called praying. You can talk to God anytime.”
Ellie’s eyes lit up. “What do I
say?”
“Just speak from your heart. You can
thank Him, ask questions, or tell Him how you feel.”
So Ellie closed her eyes, lowered
her head, and whispered,
“Hi God… um, thank You for the banana snacks. And the pretty butterflies. I
think you’re amazing. Amen.”
Mama smiled. “That was perfect,
Ellie.”
From that day on, Ellie began to
talk to God every morning and every night. She would thank Him when she was
happy and ask for help when she was sad or scared.
One day, while picking berries with
her friend Toby the Tortoise, Ellie asked, “Toby, do you talk to God?”
Toby nodded slowly. “I do. And I
love reading the Jesus Book too.”
“What’s that?” Ellie asked.
Toby pulled a small leaf-wrapped
book from his shell. “It’s filled with stories about Jesus—how kind He was, how
He helped others, and how He loves everyone.”
“Even little elephants?” Ellie
asked.
“Especially little elephants,” Toby
said.
Ellie was excited. “Can I learn
too?”
So, every afternoon, Toby and Ellie
sat under the mango tree. Toby would read a story from the Jesus Book, and
Ellie would listen closely.
They learned how Jesus helped the
sick, fed the hungry, and hugged the children. He was gentle, loving, and full
of joy.
“Jesus is the best!” Ellie cheered
one day. “I want to be His friend forever!”
Toby smiled. “You can be. You just
have to tell Him you believe in Him and want Him in your heart.”
“But… how?” Ellie asked.
“Just like a prayer,” Toby said.
So under the mango tree, Ellie
closed her eyes and said:
“Dear Jesus, I believe You are real.
Thank you for loving me. I want You to live in my heart and help me be kind
like You. Amen.”
When she opened her eyes, the breeze
tickled her ears, and a butterfly landed gently on her trunk.
She smiled big. “Jesus is my forever
friend!”
That evening, Ellie told Mama
everything. “I prayed and asked Jesus to be in my heart!”
Mama wrapped her trunk around Ellie.
“That makes my heart so happy, sweet girl. Jesus will always be with you—just
like He promised.”
From then on, Ellie began to grow in
faith. Every day, she talked to God, and every week, she met with Toby to learn
more stories from the Jesus Book.
One day, Toby told her a verse that
Ellie memorized:
“Jesus said, ‘Let the little
children come to me… for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.’” –
Matthew 19:14 (NIV)
Ellie loved that verse. She repeated
it often. “That means Jesus wants to be with me!”
Another time, she learned:
“I have hidden Your word in my
heart.” – Psalm 119:11 (NIV)
Ellie smiled. “That’s what I’m
doing—learning His words!”
One afternoon, when Ellie’s little
cousin Emmy was scared of the dark, Ellie held her close.
“Don’t be afraid, Emmy,” she said
gently. “Let’s pray.”
They closed their eyes and said,
“Dear God, please help Emmy not feel scared. Help her feel safe and brave.
Amen.”
Emmy sniffled and smiled. “I feel
better now.”
Ellie’s heart felt full. She wasn’t
just learning about Jesus—she was living like Him.
Soon, other animals joined her and
Toby under the mango tree—monkeys, birds, turtles, even a shy giraffe. They all
wanted to hear the stories, sing songs about Jesus, and pray together.
One day, Ellie told them, “Jesus is
our forever friend. He loves us no matter what. And we can talk to Him
anytime!”
The animals clapped and cheered.
Ellie’s mama watched from a distance
and wiped a happy tear from her eye.
That night, as the stars twinkled
above, Ellie looked up and whispered,
“Thank You, Jesus, for choosing me.
I’ll follow You always.”
Moral
of the Story:
You don’t have to be big to know
Jesus. When you pray, learn His stories, and ask Him into your heart, He
becomes your forever friend. You can talk to Him anytime, and He will always
listen and love you.
No comments:
Post a Comment