“Guess what!” Sammy cried, running in with the others. “We caught the biggest fish ever!”

“It’s bigger than a shark,” said Edward, “and almost pulled me in!”

“If that’s true,” said Alice, “your fish must’ve stretched. It measured 14 inches, remember?”

Grandpa chuckled. “I have some true stories for you,” he told the children, so they sat down to listen to:

What Happened to Big Things

(Reference: Genesis 11:1-9; Daniel 4:28-34; the Titanic—1912.)

Since long ago bragging has always been a problem with people. They think they can do things better, have things bigger, and act greater than the way things really are.

Once there was a group of people that decided that they would built a tower that reached up to heaven. They wanted other people to think that they were important. The people began to build their tall tower, and they worked hard. They were very proud and thought that they would be able to do anything they tried, but they forgot something. They forgot that there is a God of heaven that was greater than them. God heard their bragging and confused them so that they couldn’t understand each other. Then they couldn’t work together anymore, and their great tower was never finished.

Once there was a king who ruled all the land around him. He built a great city and had a great army that conquered many lands. This king looked at his great kingdom and said to himself, “See what I have done by my might and power! I am so wonderful and great!” He did not remember God, who had given him the kingdom, and the power and the might. And so God took it all away from him, and made the king to loose his mind. How strange it is to think, but this great king crawled on his hands and knees and ate grass like a cow for seven years! At last the king humbled himself and thanked God, who does all great things and rules forever and ever. Then God gave him back his kingdom to rule. Do you think he bragged again?

Once, not long ago, there were some men who built a giant ship. They built it long and strong, so that it could cross the ocean. When they were finished, they bragged, “Not even God can sink this ship!” Do you think He could? The ship was filled with people who thought it would never sink. It was better and bigger than all the other ships, and it was made to float. So it started proudly across the ocean, filled with fathers, mothers, boys, and girls. Before it reached the other side, it sank to the bottom of the sea and most of the people drowned.

“Why?” asked Grandpa, looking around at the children.

“Because they bragged so much about it,” said Alice.

“They thought they were smart,” said Edward, tipping his head wisely, “but they weren’t. I read about it. They didn’t even watch very much for danger.”

“That’s true,” agreed Grandpa. “That is just what braggers do. They think they don’t need to be careful and so they get into trouble. It is always best to look at things the way they really are, even if you aren’t going to look as good to others.”

“I won’t brag anymore,” Sammy said solemnly, “’cause those people drowned in the ocean. I don’t want my Daddy or Mommy to drown.”

“Sometimes people exaggerate, and that’s not very good either,” added Alice.

“What does ’zaggerate mean?” asked Sammy.

“When you exaggerate, you are stretching the truth to make it sound bigger,” said Grandpa. “Like saying you ate twenty sandwiches when it was only three. It is better to always say what you really mean. That way, people can always trust what you tell them.”

“And God knows when we tell the truth or not,” added Edward.