Finders Keepers?, … I Mean Really? - written by Alfred (a short story for kids)
Once upon a time but not far back in time at all there lived a little girl named Sandra. She had just given her life to Christ in children’s church and had just began to learn fun and exciting values from the stories in the bible the children’s church teacher shared with them.
Things were going great for her Christian parents at home and things were going great for her too. Oh! these were merry times.
One day, while she was walking to church for a Holiday season children’s seminar she found some money lying at the side of the road.
Now, in the place where Sandra lived, when you find money or any lost item you turned it in to one of the city’s many Lost and Found kiosks that was in almost every neighborhood in the city. Sandra picked up the money and thought of dropping it off at the nearest Lost and Found kiosks on her way to the church, but as she touched that money she immediately remembered a limited edition remote control doll that had seen when passing a store window. Funny, she had never been struck with the urge to want to have the doll until now. Holding enough money to buy something she would have been cool with having but never had the desire to have in the first place had created a desire to have it that was growing within her the more she looked at the money in her hands.
Sandra was confused. She didn’t know what to do. Should she take the money to one of the Lost and Found Kiosks or should she go to the store and buy the doll.
Sandra decided to keep walking to church so she won’t be late.
When she passed a Lost and Found Kiosk on her way there she would decide whether to turn in the money or not, she taught to herself.
Interestingly, when she got to the only Lost and Found kiosk in-between the spot where she had found the money and the church she was heading to, a thought dropped in her mind that she should hold unto the money a little longer after all the kiosk isn’t going to run away, it would still be there when she needed to turn the money in after the children’s church meeting for that day.
All through the meeting that day, Sandra debated in her mind whether she should turn in the money or get the doll that she all of a sudden now wanted.
The sermon that day was on “Doing the right thing even when we don’t feel like it” and it sure spoke to Sandra like if the sermon was tailor made for her. Sometimes sermons in church just speak to you directly like if you are the only one in church and the preacher is only preaching to you.
After the sermon that day, Sandra walked out of church intending to turn the money in at a Lost and Found Kiosk but as soon as she saw one she started having second thoughts. The images of the limited edition remote control doll started flashing in her head, kinda like it was saying, ‘If you turn in the money you would never get me.’ Sandra pushed herself to be persistent, she was going to do the right thing. She kept walking towards the Lost and Found kiosk within her sights. When she was half way there the taunting within her head increased and she just couldn’t take it anymore, she just turned back and ran all the way to the store.
When she walked into the store she heard a voice within her that told her to sing a song of praise to the lord.
Sandra began to sing and she discovered that the more she sang praises to God the more she felt like she could do anything for God – the more she felt like she could turn her back on not buying the doll because of God.
Sandra walked out of the store without buying the doll and with each step she took walking away from the store the better she felt.
Sandra turned the money in at the closest Lost and Found kiosk. Although she didn’t get any reward for doing so she walked away feeling like there could be no greater reward than the way she felt now. She had chosen to do the right thing.
THE END.