How Can I Please Jesus?

Amy wanted to do right. She knew God loved her. He had forgiven her from her sins and had made her very happy. Now she wanted to please Jesus every day. But sometimes Amy felt selfish and grouchy. What should she do then?

One morning Amy was reading about how Jesus took the children on His lap. “I wish I could sit there, too,” she thought. Then she remembered that God is everywhere and we can hear His voice when we get still. So Amy found a quiet corner in the room where the sun was shining warm through the window. It was like Jesus’ loving smile. Amy smiled, too. “Jesus wants me for a sunbeam,” she thought. “God’s love is like the bright sun. It chases away everything cold and mean and bad! How can I be a sunbeam for Him?”

As Amy sat there, thinking, Jesus whispered to her heart. “Do you see something that you can do with Love?” Amy saw the dirty clothes on the floor. And she remembered that she was supposed to empty the dishwasher. “What if you do it without being reminded?” Jesus whispered. Amy hurried to do her best. “Maybe no one will notice, but I’ll hang up my clothes, too,” she thought. She knew she was pleasing Jesus. She could hear Him whisper: “Good work! Now let’s look around for other ways we can help.” Amy smiled. She was on Jesus’ sunshine team!

There was a lot of work to do that morning. After breakfast Mom told Amy to wash the dishes. It wasn’t her usual job, but she hurried to do it anyway. “I love Jesus, this He knows, For my life, it tells Him so!” she sang. Then the baby was fussy, right when Amy was trying to read. “Here is another place to fill with my Love!” Jesus whispered. Soon Jesus’ sunshine plan was working. Mom was smiling because Amy was so helpful. The baby giggled as Amy popped up behind her book: “peek-a-boo!” The house was a happy place to be!

After awhile Amy started to feel tired. She wished she could play outside, but Mom told her to write a thank-you note. Oh, no! A frown came upon her lips. “I don’t know what to say!” she complained. “Maybe you should ask God to help you be thankful,” said Mom. Suddenly Amy remembered. Oh, no! She wasn’t being a sunbeam at all. Was Jesus frowning at her? No, she heard Him calling to her heart, “Come to Me! I will give you rest.”

Amy hurried to her quiet corner on Jesus’ lap. She told him all about the thank-you note. “I can’t do it,” she said. “You are hiding in the shadows of selfishness,” Jesus whispered to her heart. “You can’t be happy that way. Come to Me and I can give you more of My sunshine of Love. Then we can go write that thank-you note together!” Slowly Amy smiled again. Jesus would help her. She would be a sunbeam with Him!