Thought for the Day – 18th July 2013

The Spooky Tree

I’m always in trouble! I once even got into trouble for telling the children a story in church! In the morning service we would have a time for the boys and girls, an opportunity to share God’s Word, the Bible, with them in the form of a story and to say a wee prayer with them, a bit like a ‘Thought for the Day’ for youngsters.

On that particular Sunday, I had been lying on the sofa in the front room of the manse all night. I couldn’t sleep. It had been one of those nights when you awake around two in the morning, and no matter how much you try, you just can’t make the sleep return again. You toss and turn… And eventually the best thing to do is just to give up and go down for a cup of tea and lie down on the sofa.

So in my children’s slot, I told the boys and girls all about my awful night. I told them about lying on the sofa, looking out the window, at the big spooky tree outside the house. It was one of those clear moonlit nights and that night the tree was backlit by the moon. I let my imagination run riot. It was just like one of those scary films, when around the spooky tree would come a man eating monster with green skin and eyes on long stalks and six great big grasping hands… What if a sudden clap of thunder had happened… The children were transfixed by it all.

Then I told them why, even in the dark night, and even when I saw the spooky tree, and even in the thunderstorm I would not be afraid. I told them that my trust was in The Lord, who would always be with me, even in the darkest night. I read them his promise in Psalm 27

The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?

I told them that sometimes life brings dark moments, and that when these times come, The Lord always goes through the darkness with us, and holds us tight, and cares for us, and all that he asks of us is that we simply trust Him to do what he promised.

The kids loved it. The parents didn’t, and when the church secretary got up to make the announcements, he added in an extra one. ‘If anyone can’t get their children to sleep tonight, I suggest you ring the minister. Perhaps he’ll come round and tell them a story!