[The Children's Chapel]
            ~ A Ministry of The Lorain County Free-Net Chapel ~
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               The Big Surprise! by Steven WilsonText Version

          "That's it, isn't it? That's the big surprise," said the man
     excitedly as he watched his friend stitching his bed. "You're
     sowing those straps on my bed so that I can go everywhere with
     you. That's the surprise, isn't it?" The man wanted to jump up
     from the floor where he lay and hug his friend but his paralysed
     body wouldn't let him.

          "No," said his friend laughing. "This isn't it. It's much
     better than this. Just you wait and see." He started to hook
     twine through the straps he had sown in each of the four corners.

          At that moment, three other men arrived. They saw the bed
     and nodded in agreement. "That'll do it" they said.

          "What?" said the paralysed man, nearly bursting with
     excitement. "Do what? What will it do? Please tell me what the
     surprise is."

          "You'll see," said the three as they picked the man off the
     floor and laid him carefully down on his bed. Each of the four
     friends took hold of a length of twine, and, facing forward, they
     hooked it over their shoulder, lifting the bed.

          On the count of three, they sped from the house into the
     dusty town. At great speed, they darted down narrow streets past
     deserted houses. Without so much as slowing up for the corners,
     they skidded round each bend.

          "Wow!" shouted the man. "This is it! This is the big
     surprise - a crazy, death defying ride through the streets of
     Capernaum. This is a great surprise!"

          "No!" shouted the men. "This isn't it. The surprise is much
     better than this."

          Soon they arrived outside a building by the lake of Galilee.
     It was crowded about with people. There was no way through the
     front door. The four friends looked dejected at the thought of
     not being able to get inside. Then one of them had a great idea.
     "The roof," he said and the others agreed.

          "What are you doing?" said the man as they hauled him up
     onto the flat roof of the crowded building.

          "You'll see!" they said as they frantically removed the
     slates from the roof and dug a big hole to lower him through.

          "Is this it? Is this the big surprise?" said the man a
     little concerned now. "I think I'd rather go on another race
     through the streets if it's all the same to you."

          "No!" said his friends as they started to lower him down
     through the hole. "You'll see."

          The paralysed man lay stiffly in the middle of his bed as
     his four friends lowered him into the building. They set him down
     right in front of a man who smiled down at him.

          "So that's the big surprise!" thought the paralysed man.
     "Wow! My friends must have so much faith. This really is the best
     surprise ever," and he looked up into the face of Jesus.

     THINK!
          What sorts of surprises do like best? Have you ever helped a
     friend less fortunate than yourself? Do you think Jesus was happy
     even though the friends broke the roof?

     REMEMBER
          A friend is always worth the effort!

     A VERSE TO LEARN
          God said: "Love your neighbour as yourself" (Matthew 22:39 -
     NIV).

     LET'S PRAY

            ****************************************************
                 Dear Lord, please help me to help others.
              Please teach me to know that it makes you happy
             when I give my time so that other people benefit.
                    Thank you for the help you give me.
                        In the name of Jesus. Amen.
            ****************************************************

     CAN YOU FIND THIS STORY IN THE BIBLE?
          Luke, chapter 5, verses 17-26

     ---------------
     Used by permission. Copyright © 2006 by Steve Wilson. You may NOT
     re-post this story without permission from the author.

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