"I wish I could do something important at our special church service this week," Ranya said with a sigh. "Baylee, Hope, and Leah are singing a trio, Dexter and Aaron are going to play a trumpet duet, Roman's playing the piano, and Elodie's going to read her poem about prayer. Everybody's doing something--except me!"
"I thought you were helping in the nursery," said Mom.
"Oh, I always do that," said Ranya. "I'd like to do something that's really important for once."
Ranya's older brother, Tarek, limped into the room. "How's the toe you hurt yesterday?" asked Mom.
"Much better," said Tarek, sinking into a chair, "but it still hurts." He lifted his foot onto a stool. "I never realized how important a little toe is. I didn't ever think about my little toes until I hurt this one!"
Mom smiled. "Did you look at your little toes this morning, Ranya?" she asked.
Ranya laughed. "I don't think I did. How about you, Mom? Did you?"
"No, but I combed my hair and looked at my face," Mom said. "Did you do that too?"
"Sure," Ranya replied. "What are you getting at?"
"I'm just pointing out that we normally pay more attention to some parts of our bodies--like our hair and faces--than we do to others," said Mom. "Tarek reminded us that even our little toes are important, yet we don't pay much attention to them."
"And?" asked Ranya. "I know you've got some lesson in mind for us."
"Well, it's also like that with Christians," said Mom. "The Bible refers to us as the body of Christ. Together, we share the truth and love of Jesus with the world."
"Oh, I know what you're going to say now," said Ranya. "That my job in the nursery is just as important as the stuff the other kids are doing."
Mom grinned. "It is! But we tend to pay more attention to the people who are up in front and often fail to notice those who work in the nursery, provide coffee and snacks, or clean the church. But Jesus notices them, and He uses their faithful service to bring more people to Him. That's what counts."
"Okay, Mom," said Ranya. "I'll remember that while I hold crying babies!"
-Hazel W. Marett
HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you feel like no one notices the things you do for the Lord? Some jobs may seem more exciting or important than others, but the attention and praise of people is not what matters. Jesus sees how faithfully you do the work He has given you at church, school, and home, even when others don’t notice. Each task is important in His sight as we work together to show the world who He is.
TODAY'S KEY VERSE: 1 Corinthians 12:22 (KJV)
Those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. (NKJV)