It was a beautiful morning! When Joe got out of bed he said, “This would be a great day for a picnic on the island!” Joe grabbed his crutches and went to Haley’s room and yelled, “Wake up Haley, it’s a beautiful morning and we are going on a picnic!” Haley jumped about a foot off her bed and fell onto the floor! This woke her up! Haley was excited to go on a picnic, so she got up, took a shower and washed her teeth and brushed her hair! After a quick breakfast they packed a picnic lunch. Daniel the raccoon was in the kitchen watching them pack the lunch. Haley packed applesauce, jello, sandwiches, chocolate pudding and yogurt. She also packed a big bag of dried fruit and nuts for Daniel to eat. Just as Haley was closing the picnic basket Joe said, “You had better pack a couple of spoons so we can eat our food without licking it off the plate!” Haley packed 2 metal spoons in the picnic basket, and then the phone rang. Haley went to answer the phone, but Daniel went to the picnic basket. Those two spoons were shiny, and Daniel wanted them, so when no one was looking he took the spoons and ran out of the house as fast as he could and took the spoons to his hollow tree!
When Haley got off the phone, she closed the picnic basket, and they went out and got into the station wagon to go to the river. Daniel came running back and jumped in the car too. They drove across the field to the edge of the forest and then then went down the path to the edge of the Black River. Joe had an aluminum canoe hidden under some trees. He put the canoe in the water, and they all got into the canoe. Daniel liked the canoe because it was made out of metal and was shiny! Joe and Haley paddled the canoe down the river to the island. They landed on the sandy beach and pulled the canoe out of the water. Joe had a hard time crossing the sandy beach on his crutches, but he managed to do it. Haley carried the basket of food and set it in the shade of a big tree. It was not lunchtime yet, so Haley, Joe and Daniel played on the beach and went swimming in the river. After a while Haley got tired of swimming so she got out of the water and lay on the sand to try to get a tan. Joe and Daniel were still splashing around in the water, but soon Daniel discovered something! At one end of the beach there was a spot where the water was just a little deeper and it was shady. Little fish were swimming in this spot. Daniel stood on the bank and felt around the small pool with his front paws. Soon he grabbed a small fish! Haley was watching him and wondered how he had learned how to catch fish. But then Daniel did something else that surprised Haley! He washed the fish in the water before he ate it. That fish just came out of the water, it was already clean. Haley told Joe what she had seen and asked, “Why did Daniel wash a clean fish before he ate it?” Joe explained that raccoons automatically wash their food whenever they can before they eat it. They are very careful not to let anything that is not clean into their stomach.
Soon it was time to eat lunch and Haley watched Daniel. When she gave Daniel his bag of dried fruit and nuts, he carried the whole bag over to the water and then he washed each piece before he put it into his mouth. As Haley was unpacking the lunch, she discovered that the two spoons were not in the picnic basket. She realized that Daniel had taken the spoons and she was sure that the spoons were in Daniel’s hollow tree. Haley asked Joe, “What are we going to do? We do not have spoons; how are we going to eat applesauce, jello, yogurt, and chocolate pudding without a spoon?” Joe was not upset at all; he took out his pocketknife which had a little spoon attached to it and he began to eat his lunch. Haley did not have a pocketknife, so she had to put her face down onto her plate and slurp up her food as good as she could! At the end of the meal Haley’s face was quite a mess!
Joe said, “You and Daniel are sure different! He has kept himself so clean during this meal and you could not get much messier if you tried too! This reminds me of what Jesus said in Matthew 15. Some people were arguing with Jesus because his disciples ate some food without washing their hands. Jesus tried to teach them that even though washing your hands is important, it is more important to be careful about the words that come out of your mouth.
In Matthew 15:18-20 Jesus said:
‘But what people say with their mouths comes from the way they think; these are the things that make people unclean. Out of the mind come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual sins, stealing, lying, and speaking evil of others. These things make people unclean; eating with unwashed hands does not make them unclean.’
It is so important to be careful about what you say! You should take as much care choosing your words as Daniel is careful to wash his food.”
Application:
As Joe said, it is very important to be careful of the words that come out of your mouth! If you are a Christian, the people around you should notice that you talk differently than other people, but this is not easy to do! How can a Christian even begin to control all that is in their mind and in their heart? It is a process that can take a lot of time!
A lot depends on what a person allows into their minds and hearts.
- If a person dwells on violence, they will become violent.
- If a person focuses on videos or music filled with profanity, they will end up using profanity.
- If a person is always with friends who are disrespectful and hateful, they will become disrespectful and hateful.
- If a person tells jokes that make fun of people of a different race or background, they will become prejudiced and hateful.
Sin spreads so easily, a Christian can never let their defenses down! The Bible teaches us to fill our minds and hearts with good things instead of sinful things.
In the Bible in Philippians 4:8 it says:
Brothers and sisters, think about the things that are good and worthy of praise. Think about the things that are true and honorable and right and pure and beautiful and respected.
We cannot do this on our own, we need God’s help! Pray and ask God to help you to stay away from the things that will pollute your mind and heart, and also ask Him to help you focus on the good and honorable things that He would want in your mind and heart. Spend time each day reading God’s Word (the Bible), and spending time in prayer. Remember, you will not be perfect, you will make mistakes and allow bad things into your mind and heart, or bad words will come out of your mouth. When you make a mistake and sin, go immediately to God and ask for forgiveness, and He will forgive and help you!
In the Bible in Ephesians 4:29-30 it says:
Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, He has identified you as His own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.