All the devotions that I read were really good, but I think this will bless you, red to the end....
It was from Joni and was taken from Guideposts.
Jeremy
"'Do you hear what these children are saying?' they asked him. 'Yes,' replied Jesus,
'have you never read, "From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise"?'"
--Matthew 21:16
Miss Miller had taught many students at the Christian school, but none so exasperating
as Jeremy. He was twelve years old, slightly retarded, and had not progressed beyond
the second grade. Miss Miller had repeatedly tried to place Jeremy in a special
class, but the boy's parents wanted him to stay with his classmates. This frustrated
her, as she had eighteen other youngsters to supervise.
After teaching about the Resurrection one day, Miss Miller gave the class an assignment.
Each child was given a large plastic egg and told to bring it back the next day
with something inside that showed new life. All the kids were enthusiastic except
for Jeremy. Miss Miller wasn't certain the boy understood.
The next morning the children arrived in class with their eggs, laughing and discussing
their surprises inside. In one egg a child had placed a flower. In another, a plastic
butterfly. One concealed a rock with moss. When Miss Miller opened Jeremy's egg,
it was empty. She reasoned that he must not have understood the instructions. Because
she did not want to embarrass the disabled boy, she quietly set the egg aside.
"Miss Miller," Jeremy spoke up, "aren't you going to talk about my egg?" The teacher
replied that it was empty. "Yes, but the tomb of Jesus was empty, too."
While the other children ran out to the schoolyard, Miss Miller stayed behind, wiping
her tears. Here she had thought it was a waste of time trying to teach Jeremy, but
all the while, he had cultivated a wisdom far beyond that of his classmates. Three
months later, Jeremy died. And those who paid their respects at the funeral home
were surprised to see nineteen eggs on top of his casket. All of them, empty.*
"'Do you hear what these children are saying?' they asked him. 'Yes,' replied Jesus,
'have you never read, "From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise"?'"
--Matthew 21:16
Miss Miller had taught many students at the Christian school, but none so exasperating
as Jeremy. He was twelve years old, slightly retarded, and had not progressed beyond
the second grade. Miss Miller had repeatedly tried to place Jeremy in a special
class, but the boy's parents wanted him to stay with his classmates. This frustrated
her, as she had eighteen other youngsters to supervise.
After teaching about the Resurrection one day, Miss Miller gave the class an assignment.
Each child was given a large plastic egg and told to bring it back the next day
with something inside that showed new life. All the kids were enthusiastic except
for Jeremy. Miss Miller wasn't certain the boy understood.
The next morning the children arrived in class with their eggs, laughing and discussing
their surprises inside. In one egg a child had placed a flower. In another, a plastic
butterfly. One concealed a rock with moss. When Miss Miller opened Jeremy's egg,
it was empty. She reasoned that he must not have understood the instructions. Because
she did not want to embarrass the disabled boy, she quietly set the egg aside.
"Miss Miller," Jeremy spoke up, "aren't you going to talk about my egg?" The teacher
replied that it was empty. "Yes, but the tomb of Jesus was empty, too."
While the other children ran out to the schoolyard, Miss Miller stayed behind, wiping
her tears. Here she had thought it was a waste of time trying to teach Jeremy, but
all the while, he had cultivated a wisdom far beyond that of his classmates. Three
months later, Jeremy died. And those who paid their respects at the funeral home
were surprised to see nineteen eggs on top of his casket. All of them, empty.*
Father, give us a child like heart that loves and accepts you as a child. In Jesus Name. Amen
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