The Woodcarver

Bible Reading: Psalm 103:11-14, 22

David held the bat steady. I have to hit this, he thought. I just have to! If I get out, our team will lose the game and be disqualified from the tournament. The ball sailed toward him. He swung as hard as he could, but the ball bounced slowly toward the pitcher. The game was over.

David felt terrible. “I blew it!” he moaned as he rode home with his dad and older brother, Sam. “It’s my fault we lost.” Dad and Sam tried to tell him that wasn’t true, but David wasn’t convinced. “You don’t understand,” he said sadly.

That afternoon, David and Sam went to a woodcarving show. They wandered around, admiring the many wooden items on display—flowers, ducks, fish, and other animals. “I want to learn to carve like this,” said David. “Look at that Canada goose. It’s so cool!” He looked at the tag. “Jim Barker—Grand Prize Winner,” he read.

“I wonder if that’s made from one piece of wood,” said Sam.

“If you look closely at the neck, you can see where two pieces of wood were glued together,” said a man standing behind the boys.

Sam studied the carving. “Oh, I see it now. That line hardly shows.” He brushed his finger over the goose’s neck. “I wonder what kind of wood this is.”

“White pine,” said the man. “It’s winter cut and air-dried for two years.”

“You know a lot about this goose,” said David.

The man smiled. “I’m Jim Barker.”

“Oh,” said Sam, “that explains it. You carved this!”

On the way home, David thought about the day’s activities. “It was cool to see all those woodcarvings this afternoon,” he said, “but I still wish I hadn’t blown it at the ball game this morning.”

“Lots of guys got out when they were up to bat—not just you,” Sam told him. “It’s the team that lost. Like Dad and I said, it’s not your fault.”

David sighed. “You just don’t understand.”

“Hey, listen,” said Sam. “Jim Barker knew all about that goose because he made it, right? Well, Jesus made you. Maybe I don’t understand, but He does. He knows how you feel and cares about you.” Sam grinned. “And that should make you feel better!” – Linda Weddle

How About You?

Do you feel like no one understands you? Someone does—God! You are His creation, and He knows exactly how you feel. Talk to Him about your problems and doubts and also about your joys and accomplishments. He understands!

Today’s Key Verse: Matthew 6:26 (NLT) Look at the birds…your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are?

Today’s Key Thought:

God understands