Bible Reading: John 4:34-36

"We had a missionary speaker visit our class today," Charlotte told her mother after church one Sunday. "I think missionaries have such exciting lives--traveling far away to tell people about Jesus who have never heard about Him before. That's so cool! Maybe I'll be a missionary someday."

Later that afternoon, Mom got a text from the children's director at church. "Charlotte," Mom said, "Mrs. Fisher is wondering if you could help with vacation Bible school at church this week."

Charlotte frowned. "Do I have to? I don't think I'd be much help--I wouldn't know what to say to those kids."

Mom was quiet for a moment before she responded. "Charlotte, do you remember what the optometrist said when you had your eye examination a week ago?"

"Sure," said Charlotte, wondering why Mom was asking about that. "He said I have 20/20 vision, which means I have perfect eyesight. At twenty feet I can see exactly what my eyes are supposed to see from that distance."

"Right," said Mom. "I'm glad you have 20/20 vision in your eyes, but when it comes to your missionary vision, it seems you're a little farsighted. A person whose eyes are farsighted can see things in the distance, but they can't see objects up close very well." Mom pulled out a chair from the table and sat down. "You're excited about the idea of someday going far away to tell people about Jesus, but you don't seem very interested in reaching out to people in your own neighborhood right now. But that's not how God sees things. He sees and loves people everywhere in the world, including the people right here. Through the Holy Spirit, He gives us the ability to share His love with those who need to hear about Jesus right now. He may lead you to another country to be a missionary someday, but today He has you right where He wants you. With His help, you can start sharing the good news of Jesus with people here and now."

Charlotte was startled. "I guess you're right." She thought it over, then nodded. "I'll help Mrs. Fisher with vacation Bible school."

–Mary Rose Pearson

How About You?
Do you often think about what God may lead you to do in the future? Are you eager to help others and share God's love with them in an exciting way someday? That's great, but you don't have to wait to share God's love and point people to Jesus--you can do that where you are right now! Ask God to open your spiritual eyes to see those who need the love of Jesus here and now. Then trust Him to use you right where you are.

Today's Key Verse:
Lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest! (NKJV) (John 4:35)

Today's Key Thought:
Share God's love here and now

Bible Reading: Psalm 27:1; Matthew 28:18-20; 2 Corinthians 12:9

When Millie got home from her first day of vacation Bible school, she found Dad watering the garden out back.

"Hi," Dad said. "How was VBS?" He put down the hose and poured Millie a glass of lemonade on the patio.

"A missionary couple spoke to us about their work in another country," said Millie. "They told us that church services are held in secret in people's homes. Christians have to be careful how and where they tell people about Jesus because they could get in trouble for teaching God's Word in public."

Millie stopped to catch her breath and sip the icy lemonade. "They also showed us pictures of where they live and people they know. And they said they're eager to go back. They love what they do."

"You sound pretty excited about it," said Dad.

Millie hesitated. "It was interesting to hear what it's like to work in a foreign country and not be afraid to tell others about Jesus. But what if God calls me to be a missionary? It sounds like hard work, and sometimes it's even dangerous. I don't know if I could ever do it."

Dad was quiet for a moment, then he said, "Run inside and get your softball and mitt."

Millie was puzzled but did as Dad asked. Dad took the mitt and propped it against the side of the house. Then he tossed the ball into the mitt. When the ball rolled out onto the patio, Dad sighed and shook his head. "This mitt is no good."

Millie laughed. "The mitt can't catch a ball by itself, Dad! My hand has to be inside it."

Dad grinned and nodded. "You can't be a missionary by yourself either--you need the Holy Spirit to help you. Just like you give the mitt power and direction when your hand is inside it, He's the one who makes you able to share the love of Jesus with others. Jesus has given all Christians the task of telling others about Him, not just those He calls to be missionaries in other countries, and it can be scary no matter where you are. But whether He leads you to be a missionary far away or just here at home, you can trust Him to give you the power you need to share Jesus wherever you are."

–Ruth Andrews

How About You?
What happens if you don't put batteries in a remote or turn on a lamp without plugging in the cord? Without a power source, those things won't work. God is your power source for doing what He calls you to do--He won't ask you to do something and then leave you on your own. He calls all Christians to tell others about Jesus, and you can count on His power and strength to help you do that no matter where you are.

Today's Key Verse:
You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere. (NLT) (Acts 1:8)

Today's Key Thought:
God gives you power to do His will

Bible Reading: Matthew 5:14-16; Philippians 2:14-15

"Mom's calling," Selah said as she and her sister played with neighbor kids in the common area of their apartment complex.

"It must be time for dinner already," said Alice. The girls told their friends goodbye and hurried to their apartment.

"Guess what!" said Mom as they talked about their day. "I got a job offer."

Dad grinned. "Let me guess--someone asked you to babysit their kids."

Mom laughed. "You're right. Melissa, in apartment three, asked if I'd like to watch Anya and Jaxton when she goes back to work on Mondays and Fridays."

Selah looked surprised. "Dad, how did you know that was what someone wanted Mom to do?"

"Well, it's not the first time it's happened," said Dad. "The Petersons wanted Mom to take care of their son one weekend when they had to be away, remember? And a few weeks ago, the librarian at your school asked Mom to babysit for a couple of days."

Alice looked puzzled. "That's so weird. It's not like Mom put flyers around town saying she'd babysit. Why do people keep asking her?"

"Well," said Mom, "they know I'm a stay-at-home mom, so maybe they figure I'd like to earn a little money. And I think another reason they ask me is because of you guys."

"Us?" said Selah. "I don't get it."

Mom smiled. "I think they look at you and say to themselves, 'Those are nice kids! I could trust my children to be in that home. I'll see if their mother would like to work for me.'"

Alice grinned. "We're just such angels," she joked.

Dad laughed. "Not quite. I've seen your halos slip off and hit the floor quite a few times. You're not angels, but you are lights. The Bible says Christians are supposed to be lights in a dark world, and I've seen both of you shine the light of Jesus to others in how you treat them. Because we know Jesus, we are God's children and have His love in our hearts. When we let His love shine through our words and actions, people will notice that we're different and hopefully be pointed to Him."

"So thanks, girls, for being lights to our neighbors," said Mom. "Let's pray that our lives will make them want to know Jesus!"

-Lore Wolif

How About You?
Do your actions cause people to notice that you're different--different from the world in general? You may not be an angel, but if you've trusted Jesus as your Savior, you have the light of His love in your life and can point others to Him through your words, your actions, and your attitude. What can you do to be a light in your school and neighborhood?

Today's Key Verse:
Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. (NIV) (Matthew 5:16)

Today's Key Thought:
Be a light for Jesus

Bible Reading: Romans 8:26-27

Kyleigh walked out into the garage. "I want to wear my new blue shirt, Mom.

Did you wash it?"

Mom, who was stripping paint off a desk, looked up and nodded. "Yes, I washed it. It's on a hanger in the laundry room, but it needs ironing. It's pretty wrinkled."

"I can do that," said Kyleigh. "I'll call for help if I need it." She hurried off and got out the iron.

When the shirt was pressed, Kyleigh showed it to her mom. "Look! This shirt was a wrinkly mess before, but it's all nice and neat now!"

That night at dinner, Mom asked Kyleigh to say the blessing. "Thank you for this food and our home and..." Kyleigh paused. "And please be with Dad. Amen."

"Something on your mind?" asked Mom as Kyleigh glumly passed her the potatoes.

Kyleigh shrugged. "I just don't know how to pray for Dad. I wish he wasn't in jail, but I'm afraid if he got out he'd just keep doing the things that got him there in the first place."

Mom nodded. "I know what you mean." She pointed at Kyleigh's shirt. "That iron sure took care of all those wrinkles, didn't it?"

Kyleigh looked down at her shirt. "Um, yeah, but what does that have to do with Dad?"

"Well," said Mom, "the Holy Spirit does the same thing with our wrinkly prayers."

"Wrinkly prayers?" repeated Kyleigh. "What are those?"

"They're the prayers we're not sure how to pray," said Mom. "We don't know everything that's going on in someone's life or the best solution to a problem, but God does. When we pray about those things, we might be afraid of asking for the wrong things sometimes because we can't see the whole picture."

"Kind of like my messy, wrinkled shirt?" asked Kyleigh.

"Exactly," said Mom. "But when we pray about things that are unclear or confusing, the Holy Spirit irons out the wrinkles so that, before God's throne, they make perfect sense." Mom squeezed Kyleigh's hand. "Keep praying for Dad, Kyleigh. God knows exactly what you're trying to say, and you can trust Him to do what's best."

-Gayle J. Thorn

How About You?
Do you sometimes feel like you're not sure what to say when you pray? Are there people or situations you want to pray about, but you're not sure how to begin? God wants you to come to Him with anything and everything that concerns you. Tell Him the best way you can, and trust the Holy Spirit to smooth out the wrinkles.

Today's Key Verse:
We don't know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit himself speaks to God for us. (ERV) (Romans 8:26)

Today's Key Thought:
Pray freely to God

Bible Reading: 2 Corinthians 4:13-18

"Oh, she's so cute!" squealed Kelsey, looking at the baby her mother held. The baby wrapped her tiny fingers around Kelsey's thumb and stared at her face. "I wish she would smile at me," Kelsey said.

"Don't worry," Mom replied. "She's just getting to know us. Give her some time to get used to regular meals and a safe place to sleep, and she'll be smiling in no time!"

"Will we get to keep her?" Kelsey asked, still holding the little one's hand.

"We don't know the future," Mom replied gently. "We're her foster family for now because her home isn't safe. But there are people working with her parents to help them become safe for her. If that goes well, she will get to go home with her mom and dad."

Kelsey sighed. "I want her to be with her parents, but I want her to stay with us too. I can't decide."

"Well, honey, thankfully it isn't up to you to decide. We can trust that God already knows this little one's future, and He loves her even more than her parents do, and more than we do. Whether she stays with us or goes home with her parents, or even if she grows up in a different family altogether, we can pray that God would shine the light of His love into her life." Mom smiled at Kelsey. "My mother always used to say, 'I don't know what the future holds, but I know who holds the future.' God is a loving Father with strong hands. He holds all of us, not just this sweet little girl. He also knows your future, Kelsey. And since you know Jesus, He has wonderful things in store for you and for all those who have eternal life with Him."

Kelsey leaned in to give the baby a kiss, then pulled back quickly. "Mom, I think I know what the future holds."

"Oh really?" Mom's eyebrows went up.

"Yup. It's a new diaper. This baby stinks!" Kelsey laughed as she dramatically held her nose.

Mom started laughing too. "You're certainly right!"

The baby looked at their smiling faces, and the edges of her mouth lifted a little.

"She smiled, Mom! Her future is looking brighter already."

Mom nodded as she carried the baby to the changing table. "It certainly is with a big foster sister like you!"

-Karen McMillan

How About You?
Do you worry about the future? Are there difficult situations in your family or some big concerns ahead for you? You can trust that God already knows about them--our difficulties never catch Him off guard. He holds the future in His hands, and He has wonderful plans in place for those who trust in Jesus, even though we still face difficulties in our lives. Trust Him to be with you through life's problems, knowing you have a bright future with Him.

Today's Key Verse:
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (NIV) (Jeremiah 29:11)

Today's Key Thought:
God holds the future