Children’s Story Offering Sabbath — April 12, 2014 By Janell Hurst Supplies needed: Mirror Braille sample (You can order a braille card for each child on the order form enclosed.) Object lesson: True beauty is on the inside. Being kind is more important than how I look. God makes our heart beautiful. [Hold the mirror up in front of the children so they can see themselves] Boys and girls, what do you see when you look in my mirror? This morning, I see your smiling faces. You all look wonderful. Did you get ready for church this morning by combing your hair? Did you choose your best clothes for coming to church and worshipping Jesus? Our story today is about Alyssa. Alyssa, can’t see herself in the mirror because Alyssa is blind. She has never seen her mommy, or trees, the moon, or even the pretty colors you are wearing this morning. Alyssa doesn’t know if her blue jeans and pink plaid shirt make her look good. And she wants to know if she fits in – if she looks like other kids her age. She knows some boys and girls will be unkind and tease you if you look different. So Alyssa wants to know how she looks. And more than that, she wants to know if she is pretty. “Mom, am I beautiful?” she asks sometimes. “Of course you are beautiful,” her mother answers. But still day after day, Alyssa wondered how she looks. So she asks again, “Mom, am I beautiful?” (Over) 4444 S 52nd Street, Lincoln NE 68516-1302; PO Box 6097, Lincoln NE 68506-0097 Phone: (402) 488-0981 Email: [email protected] FAX: (402) 488-7582 WEB: www.christianrecord.org What does her mom always tell her? “Of course you are beautiful.” “But I’ve never seen myself in a mirror,” Alyssa says. “So, I don’t feel satisfied.” Week after week, she wondered if she was pretty. Finally she decided to ask God if she was beautiful.” God listens. And God cares. Alyssa felt God giving her understanding and peace. That’s when she got the idea to write these words to a new song: "I really want to know. Please tell me Lord. Look inside and tell me what You see. Is it pleasing to You? Can You tell me I am beautiful? Thank you, Lord, for constantly making me beautiful." Alyssa had finally realized true beauty is on the inside, not the outside. When we love Jesus, He makes our heart beautiful. The Bible talks about this kind of beauty in 1 Samuel 16:7: “Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” There are many people who are blind who want to know more about Jesus. Our church offering [in the special envelopes] today will help pay for special Bibles, audio books for listening, and bumpy Braille magazines for blind children and grown-ups so they can read about Jesus. Boys and girls, who are blind, can read their Primary Sabbath School Lesson in Braille bumps, too. I have a card here with Braille dots (bumps) on it. The bumps make up words. Maybe you’d like to feel it? (If the group is small, you can let each child touch the Braille card provided − now or at the end of the story.) And the offering can do something else. It will help give blind kids an opportunity to go camp this summer. There they can learn more about Jesus and His love. Today, let’s make the same choice Alyssa did. Prayer: God, please fill my heart with love and kindness. I want a beautiful heart, too. You may go back to your moms and dads.