God is Always With Us By Amanda Garcia

1. Next God is Always With UsBy Amanda Garcia Illustrations by Aayizat PowerPoint by Kalifa. (inspired by sister Bonnie’s geese: based on a true story.) Press Esc at any time to end show

2. Prev Next It was a warm Sabbath morning. Emily was warm and nestled inside her bed with a stuffed bunny. Jake was lying on the hard floor, where he was playing cars and Chris was curled up by the window where he was watching the night sky. All were awaken to the morning call.

3. Prev Next With sleepy eyes, each of the baby geese waddled their way to the living room, where Mom and Pop had prepared a Sabbath morning study.  Pop began in prayer; “Dear Lord, we thank You for Your Holy Sabbath, may we spend this day to bring Glory and honor to Your Name, in Jesus Christ we pray, Amen” Then he began the study, telling the little ones how the Lord is with them even unto the end.

4. Prev Next “You mean for the rest of our lives?” little Emily spouted with excitement in her voice.  “Yes, my love” said Mom with a comforting wing around her daughter.  Her eyes glistened with intrigue thinking of the Lord being with her for the rest of her life.

5. Prev Next “The Lord knew we would have hard times here in this world and has promised to be with us through it all.” said Pop with a smile on his face.

6. Prev Next Hopping to his feet, all sleepiness having left him, little Chris, the youngest of the three, said, “You mean…” Then he paused for a couple of seconds… “God is with me right now?” as he looked around the room with his wings spread wide open, straining his eyes in the dawn’s light to catch a glimpse of Him.

7. Prev Next “Yes my love” said Mom as she gave him a loving hug.  “He is with us all” Said Pop, “Which it is why we live a life worthy of Him.” He then added with a serious look on his face, “We should always be trying to be more and more like Jesus Christ”  “We should all work extra hard, to be good, to obey God’s Commandments, and to love one another” Mom added while winking at her oldest sonJake.

8. Prev Next “But why can’t I see him” thought Emily, “If I can’t see him, how do I know all of this is true” she thought. Mom could see the question on her daughter’s face and asked what was the matter. “Oh nothing” Emily replied.

9. Prev Next Pop clapped his wings together, satisfied from the message of the morning. “Ok, let us close in prayer.”  “Dear Lord, We thank You for being with us all of our days, and we thank You for guiding our every step. We ask Lord that You minister to these children, throughout Your Holy Sabbath, these words that you had me carry forth. Lord, give them the understanding of these words. We love you Father, and we thank You for the sacrifice through Your Son Jesus Christ. In His name we all pray. Amen” “Amen” they all said.

10. Prev Next Jumping to their feet, they hurriedly put on their boots to take their Sabbath walk. Closing the door behind them they head to the lake, for the lake is their favorite place to walk on Sabbath.Upon arrival, they walk down the steep hill, making careful steps behind Pop. Pop knew all the right places to step so that no one would fall or take a tumble. They walk past beautiful wild flowers, and as they walk through the grass, grasshoppers jump out with a few of them landing on their wings.

11. Prev Next When they get to the bottom, Mom lays out a checkered blanket for them all to sit. “Ok, here is what I want you children to do; go out and find me some examples of things that God created during the six days of creation” said Mom with a challenging look upon her face.  They all take off as fast as they can.

12. Prev Next Jake was the first to return, holding a huge bullfrog in his wings. “Ribbit” it croaked. Mom smiled and nodded her approval, looking at the mud dripping from Jake’s wings. Emily returned carrying a beautiful plant.

13. Prev Next “Do you know what that is my child?” asked mom. “It’s a plant?” Emily replied thinking she had done something wrong.  “That plant is called an Aloe Vera and is used to help make hurt people feel better. Good job my love!” Said Mom with a smile on her face.

14. Prev Next Chris came running back as fast as he could, with his wings cupped tightly together. Jake blurted out with a rude and loud laugh, “There’s nothing there!” Chris, down-hearted, looked at his mom and said, “I tried over and over to bring you water, mommy”

15. Prev Next With a big sigh, and a warm smile, Mom put her wings inside of his little cupped wings, and said, “I can tell you were carrying water. You did very well, my son. Yes, God did create water.” Pointing up to the sky, she turned to him with a soft tone, “ As a matter of a fact, He separated the water from the sky” “I cant even carry it, and He separated it from the sky? Wow, He IS a powerful God” shouted Chris, satisfied at his find.

16. Prev Next  Jake had completely forgotten about the significance of his find…as a matter of a fact, he was still holding it. Jake was angry that Mom considered Chris’s find so great. With a frown on his face, Jake looked behind him, and saw Chris starting up the hill. Pop was a trailing few feet behind Chris.Pop and Mom look at each other and the children all knew what that meant…it was time to go back home. While Pop was packing up the blanket, Emily and Jake began following Mom back up the hill. All the children were silent, thinking about their finds. Emily was ever so satisfied that not only did the Lord show her something that he created, but it also helped people feel better.

17. Prev Next “I need to get rid of this frog. What if I just put it on Chris’s path? That’ll teach him.” thought Jake. So Jake tossed the frog down, and the frog, with a hop and a leap, jumped right on Chris, knocking him off balance. Chris tumbled all the way down the hill.

18. Prev Next Pop, having seen this, gave Jake a disapproving scowl, and turned to tend to his son. As Chris looked up, he could see his brother, sister and Mom walking over the top of the hill. As they turned around, Pop gave them a wave to go on home, then turned to pick up his son.“Are you ok?” Asked Pop. “Yeah, I am fine” said Chris, looking at his little wings still damp with the water he that he tried to carry. He bent down and brushed off the dirt from his leg where he had been scraped by the fall.

19. Prev Next Let’s get you up that hill.” Said Pop.  Picking his son to his feet and brushing him off, they started once again up that hill.  Pop plucked twigs and leaves out of his son’s feathers all the way home.

20. Prev Next Arriving at the house, Mom, Emily, and Jake were waiting, knowing a talk was coming. Jake had a disappointed look on his face. Pop sat the blanket down, and sat beside his children. “There is a lesson to be learned here, my children. Do you remember what we spoke of today in study?”  Said Pop.

21. Prev Next “Yes, you told us God was with us at all times, even when times are hard.” said Emily, and with a struggle on her face, she said, “But we can’t see Him, Pop” Pop turned and said, “Jake, do you know that what you did was wrong?” “Yes, but…” cried Jake. Jake bowed his head because he knew he did wrong.

22. Prev Next Because there wasn’t ANYTHING there! Shaking his head in disapproval, Pop continued, “Why did you mock Chris when he came back with water?”  “Because there wasn’t anything there!” cried Jake.

23. Prev Next “Oh yes there was!” replied Pop.  With a smile, he leaned into his children and looked closely at Emily. “Look at Chris’s wings…do you see anything there?” said Pop. Emily shook her head, “No Pop, I don’t see anything”He smiled, looked at Chris and said, “Chris, would you please hold out your wings?” Chris did as Pop asked and held out his wings. “Touch his wings.” Pop told all of the children. Mom sat approvingly by, knowing where Pop was going with this.

24. Prev Next The kids leaned in, touched Chris’s wings, and moved their wings back quickly. “ITS WET!” Emily squealed.  “Yes it is, my dear! Now, can you see the water?” asked Pop.  “No, Pop, I can’t, but I know its water because I can FEEL it!” Emily shouted.

25. Prev Next With a big smile, Pop said, “Yes… sometimes when you can’t see God, you know He is there, because you can feel Him.” Emily’s eyes lit up greatly, for she fully understood now.

26. Prev Next Pop noticed that Jake’s head was still down, and he had tears coming down his face. Pop looked at Emily, “do you still have that aloe?” Emily smiled and handed Pop the aloe, then turned and put the aloe on Chris’s little foot where he had been scrapped from his fall.  “Wow, that feels much better Pop, thank you!” said Chris.

27. Prev Next “And you know what else” said Jake with a sniffle. “You know how when you fell down the hill, because of my sin? Well, Pop was there to help you back up again. Not only that, but he also dusted you off, and when he got you home he put that aloe on you to make you feel better. That is what God does for us, He is with us always! I understand it now! When we fall, he runs down to help us up, he dusts us off and makes us clean again, and then he heals us when we are sick. I just hope that he can help me up the hill some day, I am really sorry for what I did, Chris.”

28. Prev Next Jake lifted his head and said, “Chris, I am so sorry. I know I did wrong. I let sin come in. Pop told us about that before we left, and I just let it happen.”  “Its ok” said Chris “I forgive you”

29. Prev Next Mom pushing away her tears said, “Jake, my son, God just helped you up that hill as well! We love you all.”Happy Sabbath everyone!

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