Friend For Mary

Speaker A: Don't go away, kids. It's story time. Boys and girls, for Jesus this our earnest prayer.

Boys and girls for Jesus Home at school, at play and everywhere we'll tell the world of life in Jesus he is all our song There is all you need in Jesus Won't you come alone?

Speaker B: Well, hi there. Come on in, friends. You're just in time. I'm Uncle Charlie welcoming you to another visit with all your friends from the Children's Bible Hour. Story time. And say, speaking of friends, we're going to be talking about friends in our story today, so first of all, let's have some good friendly music. And here's a sweet little voice that's going to sing about a wonderful friend.

Speaker C: What a wonderful friend is Jesus no one ever loved me so he died in my stead on Calvary and made my heart white as snow what a wonderful friend is he what a wonderful friend to me he died to save me he lives to keep me he loves so tenderly what a wonderful friend is he what a wonderful friend to me I'll trust Him, serve him and praise him in glory through all eternity.

Speaker B: And from a little girl we go to a young man with another good song that says, Jesus is the very best of friends.

Speaker D: Jesus is the best of friends for his goodness never ends and his love will every human thought accede Let me love him more, more Till I stand on glory shore.

Speaker E: Lord.

Speaker D: Jesus is a very friend I need.

Speaker B: Now that we've had that good friendly music, let's have a story called A Friend for Mary.

Speaker E: Mary lived with her mom and dad.

Speaker B: On a little Nebraska farm several miles from town. There were no close neighbors excepting Mr. Carlson and Art. So Mary had no friends. It was late summer now and she was very lonely.

Speaker F: I wish there was something to do around here.

Speaker G: Did you get your room cleaned in the garden? Weeded?

Speaker F: Oh, I've had them done for hours and hours. But I didn't mean things like that. I mean, I wish there was something to do, someone to play with.

Speaker G: Why don't you go over and see Art this afternoon? I'm sure he'd like to have company.

Speaker F: Oh, Mother, I don't want to play with him. He's so dirty. And he never has his hair cut or clean clothes or anything.

Speaker G: That's because he lives out there with his dad and he doesn't have any mother to take care of him. He wasn't that way when Mrs. Carlson was alive.

Speaker F: I know, but I just can't stand to be around him.

Speaker G: You heard what Reverend Burton said. Sunday, didn't you, Mary, about trying to get new people out to Sunday school and church?

Speaker F: Art and Mr. Carlson would never come to church.

Speaker G: How do we know unless we ask them?

Speaker F: Well, I suppose I could say it'll start and ride over to see if they would like to come to church next Sunday.

Speaker G: That would be fine. And why don't you ask Art if he wants to go to the fair with us next week? We'll have plenty of room.

Speaker F: Oh, I don't think he would. He just stays out there at that farm all the time. He never does go any place.

Speaker G: That's the reason I thought about it. He probably would appreciate a chance to get to go to the fair. And you know, Mary, we have to be friendly ourselves if we want to win anyone to Christ.

Speaker F: Art wouldn't have to stay right with us all the time, would he? I mean, after we get to the fair.

Speaker G: I don't suppose he'd want to. He'll probably want to enter some of his vegetables. Daddy was over there the other day and he said that he had some huge pumpkins that Art had raised.

Speaker F: But I'm going to enter my pumpkin in the fair. I've been taking care of it all summer and I've been counting so much on winning first prize.

Speaker G: There'll be lots of pumpkins and everything else there. But you'd better hurry if you're going to get over there. It's almost 3 o'clock and you'll have to be back for supper.

Speaker F: All right, mother.

Hello there, Mr. Carlson.

Speaker H: Oh, hello.

Speaker F: Is Art around?

Speaker H: Ah, he's over in the garden taking care of that crazy pumpkin when he ought to be out fixing the fence.

Speaker F: Is. Is he gonna enter it in the fair?

Speaker H: Well, I'm not gonna take him. That's a sure thing. I've got too much to do out here without chasing off to something.

Speaker F: Well, I ride off and see him. Giddy up.

Hello, Art.

Speaker I: Hello.

Speaker F: Say, that's a big pumpkin you got.

Speaker I: The biggest that's ever been raised around here, I'll betcha. I've been wanting to take it into the fair. I just know it'd win the blue ribbon. But dad says he hasn't got time to take me vet.

Speaker F: That's too bad.

Speaker I: Don't you want to get off your horse a minute? We've got some baby kittens.

Speaker F: I don't have time.

Speaker I: You can have one if you like. They're just about big enough to take away from their mother.

Speaker F: I don't believe I care for any. We've got a lot of cats around our place.

Speaker I: They're awfully pretty. You can take your pick.

Speaker F: Maybe I can see them the next time I come over. Mother told me that I had to get right back this afternoon.

Speaker I: Oh.

Speaker F: I just rode over to see whether you and your dad would like to come out to Sunday school next Sunday.

Speaker I: I don't know about dad, but I don't think I want to.

Speaker F: You'd like Sunday school kids from all over the neighborhood come, and we have grand times. We sing choruses and learn Bible verses and everything.

Speaker I: They wouldn't want me there.

Speaker F: Why, we would too. We just love to have you come.

Speaker I: You talk to my dad, see what he says.

Speaker H: What's that you want her to talk to your dad about?

Speaker F: I was just asking Art if you and he wouldn't like to come to Sunday school and church next Sunday.

Speaker H: Ah, they wouldn't want us over there. We don't have nice enough clothes for them.

Speaker F: That wouldn't make any difference. You come in just what you have. None of us would care.

Speaker H: Well, I would.

Speaker F: I felt so sorry for them, Mother, that I could almost cry. They said that nobody would want them to come to Sunday school and church, that they didn't have nice enough clothes for us or anything. I told them that it didn't matter, but they wouldn't listen to me. Mother, I just don't see how we're ever going to be able to win them.

Speaker G: We haven't prayed about it, you know.

Speaker F: I'm going to, though. They're gonna be right at the top of my prayer list.

Speaker G: What did Art say when you asked him to come to the fair with us?

What did he say, Mary?

Speaker F: I didn't ask him.

Speaker G: But I thought we decided that you were going to.

Speaker F: I know we were, but I just didn't.

Speaker G: Why not, Mary?

Speaker F: I just didn't, that's all.

Speaker G: Surely you had a reason.

Speaker F: I was going to, but when I got over there and saw how big that pumpkin is that Art's raising, I just knew that I'd never win a prize if he gets to enter it in the fair.

Speaker G: Do you think that's the Christian way, Mary?

Speaker F: But I've been trying and trying to win a ribbon at the fair, and I've never had a good chance until now. I just can't ruin it.

Speaker G: Would you really like to win by keeping Art from entering?

Would that be winning at all?

Speaker F: But he isn't going to get to enter. His dad said so. So I don't think Mr. Carlson would even let him go with us if we did ask him.

Speaker G: I don't see what that's got to do with it.

Speaker F: I do.

Speaker G: See who's there, will you? Mary?

Speaker F: Why, Art, what are you doing here?

Speaker I: Hello, Mary.

You lost this headscarf, or whatever you call it, over at our place. And I thought I'd better bring it over to you.

Speaker F: You didn't need to do that. You could have stopped by with it the first time you came over this way. You didn't need to make a special trip.

Speaker I: Well, I. I figured maybe you'd be needing it.

Speaker F: I'm glad you brought it over. Thanks a lot.

Speaker I: Well, I. I guess I'd better be going.

Speaker G: Come back again, Art.

Speaker I: Thanks, I will. It sure does get lonesome over there at the farm all the time. Well, goodbye.

Speaker G: What, Mary? What's the matter?

Why are you crying?

Speaker F: I can't help it.

I've been so mean to poor Art. I rode over there to see him and ask him and his dad to go to Sunday school. But I wouldn't even get off star and look at his new kittens or anything. And.

And then when I saw how much nicer his pumpkin is than mine, I wouldn't even ask him to go to the fair with us. And now when I lost my scarf over there, he rode clear over here just to bring it to me. Oh, Mother, I've been so mean.

Speaker G: It isn't too late to undo it, Mary. I don't think Art has ridden out of the yard yet.

Speaker F: He hasn't.

Art. Art.

Speaker B: Mary ran out and caught Art just.

Speaker E: As he ra slowly out the gate.

Speaker B: She apologized for the way she had.

Speaker E: Acted and asked him to go to the fair with her and her folks. Well, sure enough, Art's pumpkin won the blue ribbon.

Speaker B: Mary's came in second.

Speaker F: I'm really glad you won first prize, Art. Your pumpkin deserved it.

Speaker I: That doesn't mean as much to me as what happened yesterday at church when I gave my heart to Jesus.

Speaker F: Mother and dad and I have all prayed for you.

Speaker I: I know that. But you know, Mary, I never put much stock in this Christian stuff until you came out the other day and apologized and asked me to go to the fair with you. When you did that, I knew there must be something to being a Christian that would make you that kind of a friend.

Speaker A: I want my life to tell for Jesus I want my life to tell for Jesus that everywhere I go man may his goodness know I want my life to tell for Jesus I want my life with Jesus him that I may do as he shall bid I want to love as Jesus did I want my life to doubt for Jesus I want my life to doubt for Jesus I want my life to tell For Jesus and everywhere I go, man may his goodness know I want my life to deal for Jesus.

Speaker E: I like that word friend. And the Bible has a lot to say about how we treat others. Now, Mary was interested in having Art come to Sunday School, but she wasn't really willing to be his friend. Before we can ever introduce someone to Jesus Christ, we need to let them know we care about them as friends. Proverbs 18, verse 5 says, it is not good to show partiality. That's what Mary was doing. She was saying inside herself, I'd like Art to come to Sunday school with me, but I don't really want him as a friend. And of course, when she saw how big his pumpkin was, she didn't even invite him to the fair. She wasn't really showing that she cared about him as a person, was she? Oh, there's another great verse in Proverbs 18 about being a friend and having a friend. It's the last verse 24. Let me kind of put it in my own words. If you want to have a friend, you need to be a friend. Now, some of you kids listening right now would like to have a friend. But are you being a friend? Are you showing others that you really care? Well, time's up for today's storytime visit. Don't forget, I'd love to hear from you. I'm Uncle Charlie, and you can write to me at Storytime, PO Box 1001, Grand Rapids, MI 49508. Bye, now.