The Thanksgiving Feast was scheduled for the Saturday evening before Thanksgiving week. So, the day before the Feast, on Friday, the Leader met with the kids because they had to all go to the grocery store to get all the ingredients for the Feast.
Before they went into the store, the Leader told the kids that they would have to be on their best behavior. People were not used to having a whole group of kids in the store shopping. He told them that they should not run, shout, or handle everything on the shelves. They should only pick up what they were buying. Also, they were only going to get the things on the shopping list, they could not get extra things just because they looked good! The kids said that they understood, and they would try to do their best.
Everyone in the store stared at them as the Leader came into the store with all the kids! Several of the other shoppers hurried out the door, they decided that they did not want to be in the store while all those kids were in the store, they would come back later to do their shopping! The Leader told the kids to get four shopping carts and follow him.
The Leader was looking at the list as they began walking, he wanted to get through the store and pick out the things they needed as quickly as possible. The kids were following behind him and they were trying to be good. They were not yelling or shouting, and they were not touching anything. Then it happened…suddenly there was a loud crash and some screams! The Leader whirled around to see what had happened and saw one of the shopping carts lying on its side! Several of the kids were also on the floor, and a large display of paper towels was scattered all over the area! The store manager came running to the scene and asked if everyone was ok and then asked what had happened! All the kids were ok, and they said that several of the kids were riding in the shopping cart, and one more kid tried to jump into the shopping cart, and it fell over! The Leader was embarrassed! He had not told the kids that only food was supposed to go into the shopping carts. He had thought that the kids would know that, but apparently the kids were not thinking the same way that the Leader was thinking!
The store manager warned the kids to stay out of the shopping carts. The kids were also embarrassed. They had not been trying to cause trouble, they were just not thinking and using common sense. They apologized to the store manager. The store manager said that he would have some of his workers come and set up the paper towel display again, but the Leader insisted that the kids would set up the paper towels, and he would make sure that the display was done neatly. The store manager was impressed! The kids took about ten minutes, but when they were finished it was the best-looking display in the store. The Leader was proud of them!
The kids behaved extra good after that, and they began to gather the ingredients for the Thanksgiving Feast. It was a long process! The Leader did not know where many of the food items were in the store, so they did a lot of searching. The group crisscrossed the store many times trying to find everything that they needed. Some of the things were hard to find, and the kids kept running to the store manager and asking where to find an item. Finally, the store manager had one of his workers go to the Leader and asked him to see the list. This worker then guided the group down the correct aisles of the store and soon they found everything on the list!
They finally had all the food they needed! The shopping carts were loaded to the top, and the kids were excited to see all that food! They headed to the checkout area, and the store manager saw them coming! The store manager called several of the workers to come and help bag all the groceries that the group was buying. It took a long time to scan the prices and get the food bagged up, but then the cashier totaled up the cost of the food and the kids were shocked at the amount!
The Leader knew that all that food would be expensive, so he was prepared. He took out his debit card and handed it to the cashier. The kids could not believe their eyes! The Leader was paying the entire cost of the feast! The Leader smiled and said that it was his gift to them and their families!
When they got back to Church the Leader and the kids put the food away and then the kids gathered around the Leader to learn a little more about God. The Leader told the kids that he had watched their faces when they saw the total price for all the food that they had bought. The kids had been very surprised about how much it cost, but the Leader had figured out ahead of time how much the food would cost, and he was prepared to pay the price.
This reminds us of how Jesus paid for our sins. We do not understand how costly our sins are, but God knew the cost of all the sins of the world. It would take Jesus’ death on the cross to pay for the sins of the whole world! The Father knew that His only Son would have to suffer for all those sins and then be raised from the dead three days later. The price did not surprise God and He was able and willing to pay the price.
In the Bible in I Peter 2:24-25 it says:
He (Jesus) personally carried our sins in His body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By His wounds you are healed. Once you were like sheep who wandered away. But now you have turned to your Shepherd, the Guardian of your souls.
In the Bible in Colossians 1:13-14 it says:
For He has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of His dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.
Just like the Leader paid the entire price for the groceries and offered the Thanksgiving Feast to the kids and their families as a gift; Jesus paid the entire price for our sins and offers forgiveness as a gift to us. If the kids and their families do not choose to come to the Feast, they will not benefit from the Leader’s gift, in the same way, if a person does not choose to accept the great gift offered by Jesus they will not get the benefit of forgiveness and the great gift of heaven after this life on earth is over.
If you have never asked Jesus to forgive your sins and come into your life, please do it today.