“Tok, tok, tok,” she said every time her arm came down.
To Sabbath School teachers: This story is for Sabbath, April 6.
By Andrew McChesney, AdventistMission.org
Little Abi started hearing Bible stories before she was born in Argentina.
Every morning, while still in bed, Mother opened a children’s Bible and read a 10-minute story out loud to her unborn child. Every evening before falling asleep, Mother opened the Bible and read another 10-minute story.
Mother read about Noah, how the animals went into the ark, and the rain that fell to cause a flood. She read about how God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh day. She read about God calling little Samuel in the middle of the night to serve Him.
Mother hoped that her child would also serve God one day. She wondered whether the child could understand the daily Bible stories.
Finally, little Abi was born. Mother and Father were so happy to have a child!
Like before, Mother read the Bible every morning and every evening for 10 minutes. She read to Abi about Noah’s ark, Creation week, and little Samuel.
As the months passed, Abi grew bigger and bigger. She began to crawl and then walk. When she was 1 year and 10 months old, she began to talk.
By this time, Mother held Abi on her lap for worship, and she helped the little girl turn the pages of the Bible as they read. Mother wondered whether Abi understood the Bible stories. She hoped that Abi would serve God one day.
Then Abi did something unexpected.
One day as she sat on the floor, she raised a tiny fist and began to make up and down motions with her arm.
“Tok, tok, tok,” she said every time her arm came down.
Then she raised both arms and, wiggling her fingers, brought them slowly down. She raised her arms again and, wiggling her fingers, slowly brought them down.
After that, Abi said, “Grrr, grrr. Grrr, grrr.”
She paused.
“Oh, oh, oh, oh”
Pause.
“Roarrrr. Roarrr.”
Pause.
“Bzzzzzz. Bzzzzz.”
Mother watched without a word. She wasn’t sure what Abi was doing.
That night after Abi fell asleep Mother realized what had happened.
“Abi does understand the Bible stories!” Mother excitedly told Father. “Today she told her first Bible story all by herself. She told the story of Noah’s ark.”
Tears formed in Mother’s eyes. She was so happy that she had spent all those hours teaching Abi from the Bible.
Now, Abi is 3, and she has a little sister named Ali. She still loves the story about Noah’s ark. But her favorite story is about Baby Jesus. She takes a favorite stuffed animal, a teddy bear, and stuffs it under her shirt to pretend that she is Mary. She places other stuffed toys on her bedroom floor to represent the sheep in the Bethlehem stable where Jesus was born. She assigns the role of Joseph to her sister, Ali, who is 1 ½ years old.
Abi tells Ali many stories from the Bible. She talks about Noah, the Creation, and Samuel.
She also is teaching Ali to pray.
Although Abi is only 3, she is already serving God as a missionary.
For this and other stories, download the Children’s Mission quarterly (PDF)
