Category Archives: Grandma’s Stories

Grandma's Stories, Stories for Teens

The Boy who Made up his Mind

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Bobby and Sarah had gone over to Uncle Jeff’s to get some oranges off his tree. They were really big golden ones, and very sweet. So they filled their plastic bag up and then wandered inside where Uncle Jeff was reading his Bible.

“What are you reading about, Uncle Jeff?” Bobby wanted to know.

“Well, actually I was reading the story about Daniel and his three friends,” Uncle Jeff replied.

“Oh, I know that story,” said Bobby, “Daniel got thrown into the lions’ den, and they didn’t eat him!”

“Well, there’s a lot more to the story of Daniel than that,” Uncle Jeff said, “What do you know about him Sarah?” he asked.

“I know there are a couple more stories, but I’m not sure how they go,” she said, “Didn’t he have some friends with him in some of them?”

“Well, let’s start at the beginning,” said Uncle Jeff, “Daniel and his three friends (as well as a lot of other people) were all taken off to a far away country to the big city of Babylon by the conquering king, Nebuchadnezzar. These boys were all part of the royal family of Judah, and when the king was taken hostage, they were too. Have you any idea why God allowed this to happen?”

“I guess it was because the people had left God out of their lives”, Sarah said.

“That’s right,” said Uncle Jeff, “But there were still some who did believe in God as we shall see from Daniel’s story”.

“They must have often wondered why this was happening to them then,” Sarah said thoughtfully.

“It must have seemed funny to go to a strange land where they couldn’t understand the language,” Bobby said, entering into the story.

“They were smart boys,” said Uncle Jeff, “and it didn’t take them long to pick it up. In fact, the king decided he wanted a bunch of these boys from the captive royal family to be part of his court. But first of all they had to learn how to behave themselves  in his court, and also learn a whole heap of other things like astrology, and science and things like that.

The other things they noticed strange were the statues of different idols all around the place. They could see the food that was placed in front of these statues, and asked what happened to it seeing the idols couldn’t eat. The other ones in their class laughed and said that it was probably what they were given themselves later!

Daniel was horrified, and went to the man in charge and asked if they could be given just vegetables to eat and water to drink instead of this other fancy food that had been offered to the idols first.”

“What did the man say?” asked Bobby.

“Didn’t he say he would get into big trouble if they didn’t look as fit and healthy as the others in the class?” asked Sarah.

“That’s right”, said Uncle Jeff.

“What happened next?” asked Bobby.

“The man agreed to do it for ten days and then give them a check over. And you know what? At the end of the ten days they were more alert and fitter than all the others who had been drinking the king’s wine and eating the fancy food all that time!”

“Wow!” said Bobby.

“Yes,” said Uncle Jeff, “And the point for us today is that Daniel had made up his mind that he was going to follow God’s ways no matter what! Daniel was still only a teenager when all this happened you know, so it just shows that it doesn’t matter how young we are, we are still able to decide what we will do that honours God.”

“They were honouring God.” Sarah said slowly and thoughtfully, “ and then God honoured them later didn’t He Uncle Jeff?”

“That’s right Sarah,” said Uncle Jeff, “When they were taken for their test before the king, he found they were smarter and better trained than any of the others in their class, so he promoted them and gave them top places in his court. It didn’t seem to matter what the king asked them, they knew the right answers.

But I think that’s enough for now, we’ll have another story about Daniel next time! Let’s go and put the kettle on and have a drink!”

Grandma's Stories, Stories for Teens

Sticks and Stones

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“Mum,” Betty wailed as she came into the kitchen, “Bobby’s calling me names!”

“Oh, come now,” said Mum, “He doesn’t mean what he is saying!”

“He does too!” said Betty, “He told me I was an old meanie-bum!”

“Well, what did you do to him?” Mum asked. She knew very well that Bobby wouldn’t call names if he hadn’t been provoked in some way.

“Well,” said Betty looking at the ground, “I did hide his phone, and I won’t tell him  where until he says he is sorry!”

Mum was used to this sort of thing, and she said mildly, “Don’t you think you should say sorry too and go and get his phone back for him?”

“I don’t think it was a nice thing for him to say I was a meanie-bum,” Betty said sulkily.

“Well, you remember the old saying that ‘sticks and stones will break my bones, but names will never hurt me!’ ” said Mum, “And in this case don’t you think you deserved it when you took his phone?”

   Uncle Jeff came in just then with Bobby following close behind. “Well, well,,” he said in his big cheerful voice, “What’s been going on here?” as he noticed Betty’s aggrieved face.

“Bobby’s been calling me horrid names, Uncle Jeff”, she said.

“And Betty’s gone and hidden my phone!” Bobby said, “She deserves it!”

“Now, now,” said Uncle Jeff, “I think you should both say sorry and you go and give his phone back, Betty. Two wrongs don’t make a right you know!! You know, saying things like this is like ripples on calm water….they go for a very long way. Even some jokes hurt other people. I remember once when I was going to school, a boy called me ‘Bandy’. He only meant it as a joke, but I didn’t like it and I’ve never forgotten it!”

“Yes,” said Mum, “And I remember once I told a girl in my class that I liked what she was wearing and she took it the wrong way, and acted as if I’d slapped her in the face!”

“Ooh,” said Sarah who came in then and heard this last bit, “What happened then?”

“Nothing,” Mum said, “But I’ve never forgotten it. It just shows that what we say can go much further than we ever intend it to.”

“Yes,” said Uncle Jeff, “We should always say things that will build other people up and make them feel good. People will always remember you by what you say!”

    Betty had gone out of the room, and now she came back with her hands behind her back. “Here’s your phone, Bobby,” she said, pulling it out… “I shouldn’t have annoyed you by hiding it”.

“Oh, thank you Betty,” Bobby said, “And I shouldn’t have called you names either, but you did make me mad!”

“That’s great,” said Uncle Jeff, “Now what about that cup of tea? I’m awfully thirsty after all that!”

Grandma's Stories, Stories for Teens

The Travellers’ Bags….

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     Gran was visiting at Bobby’s  place one day, and the young ones were dying to see her and  hear about her adventures. Gran had just arrived back from an overseas trip and they all wanted to hear about it and to see if she had brought any presents with her. She usually picked up small things that she knew the children would like.

After all the “hellos” had been said and she had relaxed with a cup of tea, they gathered around her, and she said “Oh, it IS good to be back home. But before we look in my bag to see what I’ve brought you, I want to tell you a story I thought of while I was waiting for my flight this morning…..

“I was watching the people all coming in to the airport lounge to sit down and wait for their flights. They were all going somewhere and were all carrying different sorts of bags….some  were big and floppy and others were proper small suitcases with wheels. Others were back packs. As more people came in, they were getting more squashed up together, sitting closer as the seats were being filled up.

The bags were sitting on the floor, by people’s feet, and I imagined they were talking to each other. There was the smart blue bag on wheels with a matching handbag beside it. “Oh!”, it thought to itself, “What a lot of other tatty bags there are here! I’m so glad I don’t look like them! Why, I’ve even got a matching handbag. I’d move further along if I could!” and it gave a bit of a sniff.

Right next to it was a big floppy orange bag. It looked quite old and as though it had once carried baby’s bottles and nappies. It had a warm comfortable look about it. It was thinking to itself, “I wonder where my missus is going with me today. I DO hope there are some children there so I can carry things for them!”

Further along was a large backpack. It had quite an adventurous look about it. It had seen many different places, and had actually got badges from these places stuck on its sides. It looked around and thought to itself, “I’m glad I’ve been around a bit and seen more than these other bags! Look at those two blue bags over there, they look so new that they haven’t had time to see anything yet!”

Next to it was a large business case. It had been to the office all week and was going back to its home. It thought to itself, “Oh dear, I’ve had such a busy week. But I know a lot of important business has been done and I’ve been able to carry all the papers and the laptop to help get these things done. If I hadn’t been doing this the business meetings wouldn’t have been able to be held. But I WILL be glad to get home for the weekend!”

There was one last bag I could see. It was an ordinary looking bag, neither too big nor too small, not too new nor too old. It looked as though it belonged to someone very organised. I imagined it was thinking to itself, “I’m so glad I know where I’m going. I’ve got the passport ready and the plane ticket is tucked into my inside pocket along with the boarding pass, and my owner knows where it all is!”

The call came to board the plane, and the people all picked up their bags and moved  towards the boarding lanes.

The two blue bags said to each other, “I DO hope we aren’t piled into the cabin ports too close to these other bags, they might scratch our nice new shiny look!”

The big orange floppy bag with the comfortable look thought to itself, “Oh, it’s going to be such fun when the little ones see the presents I’m bringing for them, I can’t wait to get there!”

The backpack was anxious to get on its way and thought to itself, “I wonder what adventures I’ll have tomorrow! I don’t mind if I get squished into the overhead compartment, so long as I can get going!”

The business case thought, “I’m so glad I was able to be part of that big business deal we did this week, what a big improvement it’s going to make for everyone!”

The last case thought, “I’m so glad I’m not a great big bag that will have to be stowed in the overhead compartment. I’m all ready to go and I know where I’m going!”

I couldn’t help thinking these bags are just like we are sometimes. We feel so pleased with ourselves, and think we are smarter and more classy than other people (the blue bags). Or are we just happy to be able to help people and to take things that will give them pleasure? (the floppy orange bag)  Or are we too busy doing our own thing and wanting to go places to be able to help others?  Maybe we might want to do or see something new too badly  to think about helping other people. Especially when they have been away on holiday, do we take the time to ask them what it was like and what they did? (the backpack)

We could be thinking about other people and what they’ve been doing and not just thinking what WE’VE been doing! This was what the business bag was like. Even though he often felt tired, he knew that what he was doing was good for others.

But the last bag had the best place of all. It knew where it was going and it was all ready for the trip with its ticket and boarding pass right at hand”

“What a neat story!” Sarah said, “I don’t know how you think of all these things, Gran!”.

“Is that all there is?” asked Betty who had been listening with her mouth open, “I want to be like the last bag!!”

“Well,” said Gran, “All those bags sitting by their owners’ feet just reminded that it’s always good to put others first because this is what pleases God. But the best of all is to know where we are going when we die and to know that we are ready for this trip. So many people trust in their good looks and their good deeds, or in being kind. Others are just too busy and have too much to do and see to think about God. Still others are too busy working in their offices and making money to have time for God’s things. So I just want you to make sure that you are like the sensible bag and know where we are going at the end of our life and that we are ready for the trip!”

“Sure will!” said Bobby, “What did you bring us in your bag Gran?”

“Let’s have a look,” said Gran, “and every time you see these things just remember the story about the bags and the sort of people they are like!”

Grandma's Stories, Stories for Teens

Why Bread and Wine?

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    Bobby and Sarah were riding home from church with Uncle Jeff one Sunday after the morning church service,  as he was coming to their place for lunch.  Both of the young people were more silent than usual, and in the end Uncle Jeff said, “Is something bothering you Bobby?”

“Well, not exactly,” Bobby said, “But I’d like to know a few things”.

“Like what?” Uncle Jeff asked.

“Well,” said Bobby slowly, “What I’d like to know is about this bread and wine stuff they have during the service”.

“What do you know about it Sarah?” Uncle Jeff asked.

“Well, I know it comes from the Bible, it’s not just a thing that people have made up to look good”, she replied.

“I guess it must mean something,” Bobby said, “But I’ve never heard anyone really explain it”.

“Perhaps you weren’t really listening”, Uncle Jeff said, “Haven’t you noticed what sort of prayers are said just before the bread is given out? What about you Sarah?”

“It’s usually a thank-you prayer”, she said, “Thanking the Lord Jesus for dying on the cross for our sins.”

“That’s right,” said Uncle Jeff, “But there is a lot more to it all than just that. How do you think the bread is made?”

“It’s made out of flour”, Bobby said.

“And how does flour get to be made?” Uncle Jeff asked.

“Well, it gets ground up out of the grains of wheat or whatever other grain is used”, Sarah said.

“If the wheat grains had feelings, do you think it would have been hurt in the grinding process?” Uncle Jeff went on to say.

“Oh,” said Sarah slowly, “So you are saying that the bread is like the Lord Jesus being hurt so badly when He died on the cross”.

“That’s right, Sarah, ” said Uncle Jeff, “What is the next process in making bread?”

“It gets mixed up with other things and then it’s baked in the oven,” Bobby said, “I DO like new bread!”

“What do you think the meaning of that is as far as the Lord Jesus was concerned?” Uncle Jeff asked getting back to the point.

“Being in the oven is very hot”, Sarah said, “I guess it was like that for Him when God turned away from Him when he took our sins on Himself.”

“Yes, that is quite true,” Uncle Jeff continued, ” and what’s more what is the bread like when it comes out of the oven?”

“Yum, yum,” said Bobby, “I LIKE new bread!”

“Did you know that the Lord Jesus could say that He was the bread of life? That was all because He died to save us from our sins! ”

“So that is what it is all about?” Sarah said, “Thanks so much for explaining that. What about the wine then? Is that something the same? ”

“Yes, the picture is the same”, Uncle Jeff said, “ The grapes have to be crushed first to get the juice out of them, and then there is a further process the juice goes through before it will keep. How do you think this is a picture of the Lord Jesus?”

“He lost a lot of His blood while He was on the cross”, Sarah said thoughtfully, “Almost as though it was crushed out of Him!”

“Yes, and some people drink wine to make them feel happy, and when they have something to celebrate; another thing about wine is that it is a healer if you put it on sores, and then it stops you feeling thirsty as well,” Uncle Jeff said, “And what’s more it lasts without going rotten. The Lord Jesus does all these things for people when they trust Him…that’s why it is a picture of Him.  Does all this make sense to you Bobby?”

“Ye-e-es, I guess so”, Bobby said. “So it’s all a picture of what  Jesus has done for us. It won’t seem so boring now in church, now that I know what it all means. But why is it only big young people who take it and grown ups? Why can’t I do it?”

Uncle Jeff had been expecting this question, and he said, “I know that a lot of young children have given their hearts to Jesus, and they would love to do this, but you know people do change their minds as time goes by. Remember the time when you thought you would like to milk cows when you grew up?”

“Yes”, said Sarah nudging Bobby, “And remember how you used to say you were going to marry Jenny when you grew up?”

“Yuk!”, said Bobby, “I’ve changed my mind, that’s all!”

“Well, you see we have to make sure that you are grown up enough to understand what it is all about and you want to do it to please the Lord Jesus Himself, not just because Jack in the next seat takes it!”

“Oh!” said Bobby, “Well, I don’t think I’m going to change my mind about this, but I only  want to do it to please God and because it says so in the Bible!”

“That’s great!” said Uncle Jeff as he turned in to their driveway, “Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling hungry. Let’s go inside and see what Mum has ready for us for lunch!”

Grandma's Stories, Stories for Teens

Parable of the Rose

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Gran and Bobby were walking around Gran’s garden one afternoon, and they came to the patch where the roses were growing. Gran loved her carpet roses which are the sort that naturally sprawl all over the ground, making a great thick tangled “carpet” on the ground if they are left. They are a very tough rose and very seldom get diseases like black spot on their leaves, and Gran really loved them.

“Gran”, Bobby said, “How do you get them to stand up straight and tall with those mop tops?”

“Well, you see”, said Gran, “If I left them to grow how they want to grow, they would just be a tangled mess on the ground, so that’s why I trim them up to keep them tidy.”

She pointed to the tallest ones at the back of the patch, “Those are the first ones I trained like that Bobby,” she said, “And you can see they are now standing tall and slim with a “mop top” that gets covered with flowers”.

Then she pointed to the ones in front. “Those are the young plants that grew from cuttings last year. Every year, after the hot summer sun has finished, the rose plants sprout their new growth from the bottom of their main stem…see these ones here”, and Gran got down beside the front ones. “See these lovely long shoots, looking so healthy and strong. But they can’t be left there because then they will make the “carpet” on the ground and lose their “standard” look”.

Gran pulled the long new shoots off at the base of the roses, saying “I know this is going to hurt them but it has to be done to keep their beautiful shape. Each year the main stem is getting stronger and stronger, and keeping its shape so the flowers can be seen up high instead of dragging on the ground!”

Bobby watched as Gran snipped off a few more. “What are you going to do with those ones you’ve cut off?” he asked.

“I’ll keep the best ones. “ Gran said, “and put them in fresh soil to become the new cuttings for the next year. The ones from the year before that have taken root and are now growing on their own, and I’ve staked and tied them up. Then in another year or so, they will stand tall and straight with their “mop tops” like the main ones at the back.”

“Wow!” said Bobby, “There’s a lot more to growing roses than I thought!”

They slowly walked back to the house.

“What does all this mean?” Bobby asked, “You always seem to know what things mean!”

“Well,” said Gran, “It reminds me how God has a garden with all sorts of plants growing in it. We are all different just as the flowers are all different, and they all need different ways of being looked after. Some of us are like the roses we’ve just been looking at. If we’re left to ourselves, we sprawl all over the ground, getting tangled up with each other, and having disagreements, each wanting to go our own way. But as God, our Master Gardener, trims us up, He takes off the unwanted stalks and shoots, and helps us to stand tall and straight for Him. He doesn’t leave us to wave around in the wind any old way, but He ties us firmly to a stake so we can grow tall and straight for Him.

“ Yes, it does hurt at times, and other times we can’t see why a perfectly strong healthy shoot has to be taken off, but He knows that it will spoil the picture He has in His mind for us. The plant will sometimes put all its energy into that new growth, rather than into bearing the flowers that He wants to see in us.”

“Oh, I never thought of anything like that, Gran,” Bobby said, “That’s really neat!”

“So the next time we have disappointments, let’s ask ourselves what we can learn from them, and straighten ourselves up to bear flowers for our Gardener to see  and enjoy,” said Gran, “and do you know what Bobby? I’m discovering that the older I get, I’m like that first rose plant I put in the ground, with its main stalk all gnarled and wrinkled.  But there are still unwanted shoots coming out of me that have to be taken off so I can bear flowers for God to enjoy.”

“Oh,” said Bobby slowly as they reached the house, “So that means that it doesn’t matter how old or how young we are, we still have to have those straggly shoots taken off us?”

“Yes,” said Gran, “But it’s not all too hard, Bobby. We still have God’s stick  beside us to hold us up and stand straight and strong for Him! Anyway, let’s go inside  and put the jug on and have a nice hot drink!”

Grandma's Stories, Stories for Teens

Why Pray?

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Uncle Jeff was driving back from church this particular Sunday morning and Bobby and Sarah had climbed in beside him.

“What was the preacher talking about this morning?” Uncle Jeff asked after they had gone past the first set of traffic lights. Sarah was quiet.    “He was talking about why we should pray”, Bobby said, “But I didn’t really get what he meant.”

“Did you know what he meant, Sarah?” Uncle Jeff asked.

“Yes,” she replied, “He was saying that just as Jesus prayed to God, so that is why we should pray too.”

“That’s right,” said Uncle Jeff. “Do you remember what some of the reasons Jesus prayed were?”

“Well, sometimes He prayed all night”, Bobby piped up.

“That’s right Bobby,” said Uncle Jeff, “But can you remember what some of the things He prayed about were?”

“Well, before He chose His twelve disciples, He prayed for God to show Him which ones to choose”, Sarah said.

“Yes, He did,” Uncle Jeff said, “Why do you think that He chose Judas then, when he was the one who would tell on Him?”

“It was part of God’s plan for one of them to do it, and Judas was the one,” Sarah said.

“That’s exactly it,” Uncle Jeff said as he turned into the road that led to their street.  “What else did Jesus pray for Bobby?”

“Well, He always gave thanks for the food before He ate it,” Sarah said,

“Oh, is that why we always say grace before we start eating?” Bobby asked.

“It sure is”, said Uncle Jeff as he pulled into their driveway, “And that makes me feel hungry! Let’s go inside!”

    Later on, after lunch, Sarah said, “Is it important how we sit to pray, Uncle Jeff?”

“Let’s have a look how Jesus did it,” he said, “Get your Bible and turn to Matthew chapter twenty-six and verse thirty-nine….what does that say?”

“He got down with His face on the ground to pray”, Bobby said after reading it.  “So what does that tell us?” Uncle Jeff said.

“It tells us that He was very serious about what He was praying for”, Sarah said, “It must be showing us that we must really mean what we are saying, and not just gabbling something off.”

“There is something else too,” Uncle Jeff said, “There are some people in the world that are so serious about their religion that they all get down on their knees with their faces on the ground and their hands spread out in front of them, and pray like that five times a day!”

“Wow!” said Bobby, “I guess that if they do that, we should do the same thing when we pray to God because He is the one true God isn’t He Uncle Jeff?”

“Yes,” said Uncle Jeff, “And at least we know that our God hears our prayers because He has told us to pray for each other. If He has told us that, He must be glad to hear our prayers, eh?”

“I guess so,” Sarah said slowly, “But I  sometimes think that my prayers don’t get far.”

“I think we all feel like that at times, Sarah”, Uncle Jeff said, “But we are to remember that God loves to hear His children talking to Him, just as much as your Mum and Dad love to hear you telling them about all the things that have happened each day. So  because of that reason on its own, surely we must take time to talk to God every day! “

“That’s something we can make for this new year’s resolution, isn’t it Uncle Jeff?” Bobby said.

“It surely is, let’s all make up our minds to do it better than we have before”, he said.

“Doesn’t the Bible tell us to pray for each other too?” Sarah asked, “I guess that is a good enough reason to pray too….I never thought about it like that before. So it doesn’t really matter how we pray as long as we DO it!”

“That’s it, my girl,” Uncle Jeff said, “It’s no use just talking about what we should do or might do…..we have to get to work and DO it!”

Grandma's Stories, Stories for Teens

Why Bother?

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                                                   Why Bother?

Uncle Jeff came into the room where Sarah was curled up on the couch doing what she liked best….reading a book.

She uncurled herself, and said, “Where have you come from just now Uncle Jeff?” she asked.

“I’ve been helping out at a working bee at the church” he said, “the place needed a good wash down and there were some other odd jobs that needed doing around the place”.

Bobby came rushing in to the room bouncing a ball as he came. “Oh hullo Uncle Jeff”, he said stopping the bouncing. “Do you have any stories to tell us today?”

“My word, you DO like your stories don’t you?”  Uncle Jeff said as he sat down in the easy chair. “Well, as a matter of fact, I don’t have any stories off the top of my head, but I have been thinking about a good way to read the Bible stories for yourself now you are getting older. DO you read it at all Bobby?” he asked looking sharply a him.

Bobby looked a bit ashamed of himself. “Aw, no, not really”, he said, “It’s so hard to find where the stories are, and then I forget where I’m up to so I don’t bother….much”.

“Oh come now,” said Uncle Jeff, “It’s not that bad. What about you Sarah?” looking across at her.

“Well, I know I ought to”, Sarah said, “and honestly I DO try. But like Bobby said, I make a start and then I get too busy or too tired, and don’t carry on with it.”

“Well”, said Uncle Jeff, “I’m sure you would never be too busy or too tired to eat your tea each night. That feeds your body and gives you energy, and reading the Bible is what feeds your soul, and helps you do the right things.

“I’ll tell you a good way to do it so you won’t forget where you are up to….but you have to make up you mind to do it every night before you go to sleep. Or if you are a morning person, and wake up feeling great, do it then before you get up. But you need a couple of things to help you. Get an exercise book and pencil, and decide where you are going to read.

“ There are lots of places where there are very exciting stories. In fact, a good place to start would be right at the very beginning in the book of Genesis as this explains how everything began in the first place. There is no need to read a whole lot at once. Maybe just ten verses or a few more if it looks interesting.

Then follow the ABC method of making notes”.

“What do you mean by that Uncle Jeff?” Sarah asked.

“It’s quite simple really,” said Uncle Jeff, “ ‘A’ stands for A Good Title. So you think of a good name for the part you are reading and write that down.

Then ‘B’ stands for Best Verse. You look for the verse you like the best and write that down, or just the number of it.”

“Does  ‘C’ come next Uncle Jeff” Sarah asked, “what does that stand for?”

“Yes, ‘C’ stands for Challenge. Find something there that makes you stop and think that maybe you didn’t know that before or perhaps you should be doing that. Or maybe it is something that the person in the story should have done instead of what they did do!”

“Sounds like a lot of work”,  Bobby said dubiously. He didn’t like writing much.

“Well, I suppose it is a bit of work, but it is worth it in the long run”, said Uncle Jeff, “And you won’t forget where you get up to or what you’ve read about!”

“That sounds like a good idea”, said Sarah, “I’ll go and see if I can find a spare exercise book right now!”

“It’s alright for you Sarah,”  Bobby said a bit grumbly, “you like writing!”

“Well, perhaps we could do it together then” Sarah said, “You do the reading out loud and we’ll ask each other the questions and I’ll do the writing!”

“That sounds like a jolly good idea” said Uncle Jeff, “ and now how about putting the kettle on. I’m feeling thirsty!”

“Was there a ‘D’ Uncle Jeff?” Sarah asked as she got up.

“Well, if you really wanted to find one, you could look for a ‘Difficulty’….. something that you find hard to understand or something that the person in the story found hard to do. I’m sure it won’t be hard to find one of those!”

“No”, said Bobby, “All that writing is my big difficulty!!!”

“Oh come on Bobby, Sarah will do the hard bits. I’ll look forwards to hearing how you are getting on the next time I come round!”

 

 

Grandma's Stories, Stories for Teens

Wonderful Glass!

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Glass is wonderful stuff! 

“Oh, yuk!” Bobby exclaimed as he pulled a glass jar out of the fish pond.

“What ever are you doing with that?” Mum asked.

“Ooh, it’s yukky!” Betty said as she came in on the act.

“You’d better go and clean it out and wash it,” Mum said, “And make sure you do it properly with plenty of water and detergent” she called after him as he trudged off with it.

Later on she went inside and said, “How well did you get that jar clean, Bobby?”

He pointed to a sparkling jar on the bench. “Look how nice and clean it is now!” he said proudly.

“You’ve made a really good job of that Bobby”, she said, “I couldn’t have done better myself!”

“Do you know what that reminds me of?” Uncle Jeff asked from the depths of his armchair where he was sitting, “It just shows that no matter how dirty we let our lives get with being mean and nasty, God can still clean us up if we ask Him to. But we have to really mean it for Him to do it.”

“It didn’t get really shiny until Bobby used the detergent”, Betty said.

“No, that’s just like us trying to clean our own selves up,” Uncle Jeff said, “It doesn’t last and we never get to being sparkly and shiny. It’s as though the Lord Jesus uses the detergent of His Word on us and then we are just like brand new again.”

“Doesn’t the Bible say something about it being like washed by the Word?” Sarah asked as she came in and heard what they were saying.

“Yes, it does. And just as that glass will get dirty again, it will need to be washed again and again, but the actual glass is still shiny underneath it all. We just have to ask God to clean us up each time we do or say something that is wrong,” agreed Uncle Jeff.

“Yes, that’s right,” Mum said, “Glass is a wonderful thing and it is lovely to see it so shiny and clean again. Thanks Bobby!”