Short Stories

Rhubarb and Words Read: James 3:8-10, Psalms 141:3

            Emma never saw that vegetable before. Her mother was cleaning it when Emma came home.

            “What a strange looking vegetable,” said Emma. It looked like celery stalks except it had some red on it. The ribs were topped with large leaves. “Look what big, dark green leaves it has.”

            “It’s called ‘rhubarb’,” mom said while cutting off the leaves to put in the garbage.

            “Mom what are you doing? I thought dark green, leafy foods were good for you.

            “Yes, lettuce and spinach are, but this is rhubarb. The ribs taste good, but the leaves are poisonous.” Mom stripped the stringiness off the edge of the ribs into the trash.

            Emma tasted a small piece her Mom had chopped up. Emma’s face puckered. “It’s sour.”

            “Yes, because it isn’t done yet,” said Mom. I’ll add sugar, strawberries and make a pie of it. Then it will be good. Do you know what else can be poisonous?”

            “No.”

            “What we say. We can hurt a person’s feelings with words.”

            “I remember a verse from Sunday School. It said ‘the tongue cannot be tamed’,” said Emma.

            “That’s right. That is why we, even grownups, need to say a prayer every morning asking Jesus to control our mouth. He controls our words, just as I controlled what part of the rhubarb I wanted to use. Do you know what words you can use to sweeten what you say?”

            Emma smiled. “Please and thank you.”

Read: Matt. 8:23-27, Ps 29, John 14:27

Boats out of Control

            Dad shared about the remote control toy boat he owned when he was eight-years-old. Greg could not stop thinking about it. He was eight-years-old too. During school, he worried his father would not find it.

            Greg met Dad at the door. “Do you know where it is?”

            Dad said, “You mean the boat? I know exactly where it is.” At the closet, he reached for the shelf. Dad opened a box holding a white boat with a blue stripe on the side. Antennas for the remote radio controls stretched upwards. The v-shaped front of the boat meant it could go fast.

            “Wow!” said Greg as his Dad let him touch it. His fingers slid along the smooth side of the boat. “When can we go?”

            “If the weather is okay, we’ll go this Saturday to the lake.”

            At the lake, Dad showed Greg the controls to go forward, backward, right and left. Both liked to see how fast it would go. They liked going around branches.

A gust of wind blew Dad’s hat off. White caps started showing on the lake.

The boat steered harder. The water started to go over the sides of the boat. Greg worried about staying in control. 

“Will the boat sink?” asked Greg. “I don’t want it to sink. I want to be able to play with it again.”

            “Let me have the remote. If I can steer it near to the shore, I can wade out and get it.”

            Some gusts of wind pushed the boat nearer to the shore. Greg’s Dad waded into the lake a short ways and picked up the small boat.

“This boat,” said Greg, “reminds me of the Bible story where Jesus calmed the sea.”
            “I agree. Jesus’ disciples couldn’t control their boat. They worried their lives were in danger. Jesus gave His peace to them by calming the storm.” Just like Jesus, when you couldn't handle the boat, I took over."
“It was fun running the boat, but I’m glad I didn’t need to worry about my life,” said Greg.

Read: Prov. 9:10, 2 Tim. 2:15, Deut. 11:18, Ps 119:11

Prepared by Memorizing

            “Is Columbus the capital of Ohio?” asked Josh, as he and Sam walked from school to Josh’s father’s waiting car.

            “I thought it was Columbia,” answered Sam. “We’ve been studying this for a week now, and I still can’t get it right.”

            “There are too many state capitals to remember.”

            “I know what you mean.”

            Josh and Sam reached the car and settled themselves inside it.

            “How did school go?” asked Dad as he started the car.

            “We have a test next week on the state capitals,” answered Josh. “Why do I have to know them all?”

            “You don’t know where you will live when you grow up,” Dad said. “And you need to know for the news and where the main office of a politician is.”

            Dad dropped Sam at his home, and continued to their house. “I think I have something that will help you study.”

            Once in the house, Dad brought out a puzzle. Each state and its capital was written on the pieces, forming a picture of the United States.

            “Now you will have a picture of each state to help you memorize the capitals.”

            “This looks like fun.  I’ll try it,” said Josh.

            On Friday, Josh rushed into the house waving a piece of paper.  “I got all of the capitals right. I got an ‘A’!”

            “That’s great! You studied for the test so you had the answers in your mind. Do you also remember the Bible verses you memorized the last two Sundays?” asked Dad.

            “I sure do. John 3:16 is the salvation plan. Luke 6:31 is the golden rule about doing to others what you want them to do to you.”

            “Now you are a person of understanding.”

            “I am?”

            “The Bible says understanding includes knowledge of the holy.”

            “And the Bible is holy,” added Josh.  “I’ve spent time studying and memorizing verses. So I do have some understanding.”

            “Just as you memorized the state capitals, now these memorized verses are in your head. You’re prepared to have God bring those verses to mind when He wants to use them.

            “Let’s go show Mom your test paper.”