Daily Devotional for June 28, 2020
Not Normal
“Whee!” Jaret cried. “Out of my way! My horse is galloping through.” Danika laughed as four-year-old Jaret zoomed past on his tricycle—a cowboy hat on his head and his western-print bathrobe flapping behind him.
“He’s having fun!” Mom said from where she and Danika were pulling weeds.
Danika’s face clouded. “I wish I were a little kid zooming around on my tricycle. I’d rather do that than pull weeds—or study!”
“Well, we all need some time to relax and have fun,” said Mom. “But you’re at a different stage of life than Jaret is. He’s little, so he needs to spend a lot of time playing in order to learn and grow. But at your age, you have the opportunity to learn by studying and taking on more responsibilities.”
Danika yanked a clump of weeds and frowned. “But school’s such a pain! Chores too. I just don’t see the point.”
Mom suddenly grabbed the hoe and began galloping across the yard. “Yeehaw!” she whooped. “See my horse? It’s a black stallion!”
“Mom!” Danika cried, jumping to her feet. “What are you doing? The neighbors will think you’ve lost it!”
Mom trotted over to Danika. “Why are you embarrassed about me but not about Jaret?”
“Because Jaret’s just a little kid,” Danika said. “It’s normal for him to do that. But you’re my mom, and it’s not normal!”
Mom put down the hoe. “But you just said you wanted to stay at Jaret’s level all your life.”
“I did not!” Danika cried.
“In a way you did,” said Mom. “It’s normal to have very few responsibilities at Jaret’s age, but at your age, it’s not normal. If you spent every day playing and having fun—if you didn’t go to school or do any chores—how could you mature beyond Jaret’s level? At your stage in life, even Jesus spent time learning and growing so He would be prepared to do God’s will and sacrifice His life for us. Trust Him to help you learn and grow so you can do His will too.”
Danika dusted her hands on her jeans. “Okay. I get it.” Then she grinned and reached for the hoe. “I’ll put your black stallion away before you decide to ride it again.” JESSICA DORFSMITH
How about you?
Do you ever grumble about schoolwork, chores, or other responsibilities? God created you to learn and grow through different stages in life. As you get older, He will use the things you learn to help you know Him better and point others to Him. Ask Him to help you make the most of each opportunity to learn.
Thank you for reading this Keys for Kids devotional! Did you enjoy the story? Has Keys for Kids been an encouragement to you and your family? If so, would you please consider supporting Keys For Kids Ministries in our effort to continue to provide these daily devotionals to children around the world?