LETTERS TO PASTORS FROM CHILDREN

Below are letters that children have written to their pastor.

Dear Pastor:

Please say in your sermon Peter Peterson has been a good boy all week. I am Peter Peterson. Sincerely, Pete, age 9

Are there any devils on earth? I think there may be one in my class.—Carla, age 10

I know God loves everybody but He never met my sister. Yours Sincerely, Arnold, age 8

I’m sorry I can’t leave more money in the plate, but my father didn’t give me a raise in my allowance. Could you have a sermon about a raise in my allowance? Love Patty, age 10

My mother is very religious. She goes to lay bingo at church every week even if she has a cold. Your truly, Annette, age 9

I would like to go to Heaven someday because I know my brother won’t be there.—Stephen, age 8

I think a lot more people would come to your church if you moved it to Disneyland.—Loreen, age 9

Please say a prayer for our Little League team. We need God’s help, or a new pitcher. Thank you, Alexander, age 10

My father says I should learn the Ten Commandments. But I don’t think I want to because we have enough rules already in my house.—Joshua, age 10

How does God know the good people from the bad people? Do you tell Him or does He read about it in the newspapers? Sincerely, Marie, age 9

I liked your sermon on Sunday. Especially when it was finished.—Ralph, age 11

I hope to go to Heaven some day but later than sooner. Love Ellen, age 9

My father should be a minister. Every day he gives us a sermon about something.—Robert, age 11

Hereafter

The Pastor came to visit the other day. 

He said that at my advanced age I should be thinking of the hereafter. 

I told him, "Oh, I do it all the time. "No matter where I am - in the living room, upstairs, in the kitchen, or down in the basement, I am always asking myself: "Now, what am I here after?"

14,000 Parts

As you drive your car on a daily basis, you may be aware of only a few of its many parts. 

You turn the steering wheel, look into the rear-view mirror, adjust your radio station, press the gas and brake pedals, and move the turn signal up or down. 

You probably notice only a few of your vehicle's parts. But do you know how many parts the average automobile has? 14,000! according to the Encyclopedia Britannica. 

Though only a few of those parts may be noticed on any particular trip, all of them together make up the automobile that gets you around. 

 It's the same way in church life. Though only a few members may get much notice, it takes all the parts to make up the body of Christ. 

Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it (1 Corinthians 12:27).


Reference: The Encyclopedia Britannica, Volume 1, 2002, "Automobile," pp. 727-728

The Star Thrower

Early one morning, at the breaking of dawn, a young tourist took a walk by the beach that was near to his hotel. As he walked, he noticed that there was a human figure, moving like a dancer, far down the beach. He smiled to himself wondering who would dance at this time of the day. 

As he got closer, he realised that it was an elderly gentleman and he wasn't dancing. The elderly man was doing something far weirder than dancing - he was picking up something from the beach and throwing it far into the ocean.

As the tourist got closer, he called out, "Good morning! What are you doing?"

The elderly man paused, looked up and replied "Throwing starfish into the ocean."

The tourist corrected himself, "I guess I should have asked, ‘Why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?’"

The man pointed to the waking sky and said, "The sun is coming up fast and the tide is going out. And if I don't throw them back into the ocean, they'll die."

"But Sir, don't you realise that there are miles and miles of beach with countless stranded starfish. You can't possibly make a difference!"

The elderly man did not stop but picked up another starfish, threw it past the breaking waves, and said, "It made a difference for that one!"

Suddenly, it dawned on the young tourist that for that moment, while on the beach, he could make a difference for some starfish. With strong arms, the young man was able to gather and throw more starfish into the ocean. For the few days the young tourist was staying at the hotel, every early morning, he joined the elderly gentleman in throwing back starfish. He felt good that he could make a difference.

And that is our challenge today. There are many souls that need to know Jesus Christ as their Saviour. The number of people with such need is staggering. The only danger for us is when we throw up our hands and say that we cannot make a difference in helping these people into the Kingdom of God. Our only assignment is to find our starfish and throw them wisely back into the ocean of God’s love and forgiveness.

Yes, you can make a difference! Be a Star-thrower and Christ-witness for the Kingdom of God.



Adapted from Loren Eiseley’s book, ‘The Star Thrower’.

The Blindness That Blesses

A man married a very beautiful wife. He loved her very much.

One day his wife developed a skin disease. Slowly she began to lose her beauty. She became depressed because she did not want her husband to see her in her ugly condition. She prayed for God to help her.

It so happened that one day, her husband left for a work assignment in another state. While returning home, he met with an accident and lost his eyesight. It was tragic but it seemed to answer the wife's prayer.

Their married life continued happily as before. Even though the wife continued to lose her beauty, she did not worry too much about it. After all, her blind husband couldn't see her face or appreciate whatever beauty that was left. She was no longer depressed.

The husband found a home-based online business and he spent more time with the wife. The wife helped him in the business by reading all the online orders that came in. The husband did the packing of products that needed to be mailed to the customers.

The husband continued to love the wife deeply in spite of the fact that his wife's diseased skin had made her really ugly.

The wife took little notice of her deteriorating physical condition but continued to take good care of her husband.

She was his eyes and in most evenings, they sat close together at the balcony of their townhouse, as she described the activities of the street below for him to appreciate.

Many years later, the wife passed away. Her death brought the husband much sorrow. He missed her so badly.

At her funeral, a good mutual friend asked him what would he do without his wife to help him now... since his blindness was such a handicap to him.

He turned and looked at the friend in the eyes and said, "I am actually not competely blind. I can still see quite clearly in spite of the accident. I was acting as though I was totally blind. The reason is that if my sweetheart was to know that l could see her ugliness, it would have pained her more than her disease.

During our time together, she had never mentioned about her ugliness. She really thought that I could not see her skin condition.

I love her much more than her physical beauty and moreover, she was such a good wife. I believe that she was happy till the day she passed away.

One day, when I see her in heaven, my darling will not only be beautiful inside but she will be gorgeous outside too."

Moral of the story:- *In order to be a blessing to the people you love, it is good for you to act blind and ignore their shortcomings. You will not only bring harmony to your relationship but also great joy to the one you love. God bless you as you learn to become 'blind'*

Author unknown

Adapted by Albert Kang