Crash Course

Bible Reading: Mark 12:28-34

“Mom!” Landon screamed, running toward her car. A truck had hit it as she was turning into their driveway. Please, God! Landon prayed as he approached the driver’s side. Please let Mom be okay.

As Landon opened the car door, his mom gave him a shaky smile. “I’m all right,” she assured him, stepping out of the car. “Everything is okay, Landon.”

The truck driver got out, and he was okay too. Landon gave a huge sigh of relief and quietly breathed a prayer of thanks as his mom and the driver took care of reporting the accident to the police and other necessary details.

Every once in a while for the rest of that day, Landon gave his mom a hug and said, “I love you, Mom.”

“I love you too, Landon,” she replied with a smile.

That night, as Mom was tucking him into bed, Landon hugged her again. “Mom, when I saw that truck hit you, I was so scared! I guess I thought you’d always be here, but today I was scared you were hurt—and could even die.”

“We tend to take each other for granted, don’t we?” replied Mom. “Every now and then, we’re reminded we shouldn’t do that.”

Landon nodded. “From now on, I’m going to tell you I love you more often.”

Mom smiled. “I’ve always known you love me, Landon, but it’s wonderful to hear it.” She looked thoughtful as she tucked Landon’s blankets around him. “I wonder if we often take God for granted too,” she said. “Sometimes, in the busyness of life, we can lose sight of how much Jesus means to us—how He loves us and died for us and promises to always be with us.”

“Are you saying we should tell Him we love Him every day too?” asked Landon.

Mom nodded. “We can do that by spending time praying and offering thanks to Him every day. We also show our love for Him when we help and care for others.”

“I guess those are all things I could do more often,” said Landon.

“Me too,” said Mom. “I didn’t enjoy being in an accident today, but I think we both learned an important lesson from it.” She grinned. “I guess you could call it a crash course on love!”

-Lisa Meister

How About You?

When was the last time you told your loved ones that you love them? It’s easy to take them for granted and assume they know how you feel, so don’t hesitate to let them know that you love and appreciate them. Let Jesus know you love Him too. He already knows your heart, but you can still tell Him you love Him and that you appreciate all He’s done for you. Why not pause and tell Him right now?

Today’s Key Verse:
Deuteronomy 6:5 (NKJV) Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.

Today’s Key Thought:

Love God