Jeremiah thought his aunt was joking. Who would want to sit inside a church on such a lovely day? He refused to go, but one day something changed.
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Jeremiah woke up Saturday morning, thinking he would enjoy a relaxing day and maybe play with some friends. But his aunt stopped him before he could get out the door.
“Let’s go to church!” she said.
Jeremiah thought she was joking. Who would want to sit inside a church on such a lovely day? Jeremiah was only 12, but he had spent the whole week at work, helping his uncle make cupboards and kitchen cabinets. He hadn’t been in school since the third grade, when his father had been badly injured in a car accident and he had moved in with his uncle.
A few days earlier, his uncle had married a Seventh-day Adventist woman, and now she was inviting him to go to church. He didn’t want to go, but he didn’t want to be rude. “No, I’ll go later,” he said.
The next Sabbath morning, his aunt invited Jeremiah to go to church again.
“Let’s go to church!” she said.
Jeremiah didn’t want to go, but again, not wanting to be rude, he said, “Later.”
The next Sabbath morning, she invited Jeremiah a third time.
“Let’s go to church!” she said.
Jeremiah didn’t want to go. But when he opened his mouth, he found himself saying something that he hadn’t planned to say. “Let’s go!” he said.
His aunt was very pleased.
Jeremiah was surprised to find out that he, too, was pleased that he went. The whole Sabbath worship service was led by children. Children wearing green pants, white shirts, and yellow scarves marched into the church, sang at the front, prayed, and preached the sermon. It was Pathfinder Day at church, and the Pathfinders led the Sabbath worship service.
Jeremiah had never heard of the Pathfinder club, but he wanted to join. He liked the uniform of green pants, a white shirt, and a yellow scarf. He especially liked the worship service, and he decided that very day to give his heart to Jesus.
The next Sabbath, Jeremiah’s aunt didn’t need to invite him to church. He was ready to go before she could even ask.
“Let’s go!” he said to her, eagerly.
Soon, Jeremiah was baptized and joined the Adventist Church.
One day, a boy at church told him about the local Adventist school. Jeremiah wanted more than anything to study there, and he begged his uncle for permission to go. His uncle agreed.
Today, Jeremiah is finishing twelfthgrade, and he couldn’t be happier. But do you know who might be even happier? His aunt. “My aunt is proud that I’m in the Adventist Church,” he said. “When I’m at home, we always go to church together.” Now on Sabbath mornings, before his aunt can invite him to church Jeremiah says to her, “Let’s go!”
