Hey, Ellie! I have a special story to share with you, all about the garden of life that God has entrusted to each of us. Ellie, I want you to imagine your life as a garden that God wants to fill with the most beautiful flowers and trees, each one representing a good choice you made that grew into a good habit.
In this garden, every little thing you do – like sharing, being kind, spending time with Jesus, and obeying your parents – is like planting seeds that will grow into beautiful plants. These aren’t just any plants; they’re ones that shine with the love and light of Jesus, making your garden a reflection of His beauty and goodness.
Now, Ellie, sometimes you might find weeds growing in your garden. These weeds are like the habits that God wants to keep out of your life – maybe being unkind, not sharing, or forgetting your manners. But here’s the amazing news: God gives us the strength to pull out these weeds! When we ask Jesus for help, He’s right there with us, ready to help us keep our gardens clean and beautiful.
Remember, Ellie, every day is a chance to plant more seeds that make Jesus smile. It might seem like a long time waiting for them to grow, but every act of love and every moment you choose to follow Jesus is like watering those seeds you planted in your garden. And God sees every little thing you do for Him and is so happy to see His love shining out of you. Wow! That’s quite a thought…you can show others a picture of Jesus just by how you speak and how you act!
You can be overjoyed every time you see a new flower bloom in your garden! A flower blooming is what happens when you are noticing how much happier you are from planting good seeds. This happens because you are making good choices that are turning into good habits. Maybe you’ll help someone who needs a friend to talk to or there might be a moment when you choose to be courageous and trust God, even if you feel afraid. These are all reasons to rejoice and thank God for helping your garden grow.
In Ellie’s beautiful garden of life, every tiny victory is a reminder of God’s love and faithfulness. He promises to be with you, helping your garden to flourish, showing you the most wonderful plans He has for your life. Remember, it’s hard sometimes when we miss some weeds. That’s ok, because every day, in every way, you keep practicing how to take care of the garden God has given to you.
Ellie, it is time to slip on your garden gloves, put on a smile, and start planting seeds of love, kindness, and faithfulness. With Jesus as your guide, there’s no telling how beautiful your garden will be.
Ellie, just like you are taking care of your own garden, you are growing up in God’s Garden! I am so excited to see you excited all this stuff! This is really fun for me, and I imagine it is fun for you, too.
Ellie’s Desirable Purpose
Imagine you’re the captain of your very own ship, sailing across the ocean of life. Now Ellie, if you didn’t decide where you wanted to go, you’d just float around, wouldn’t you? That’s why it’s super important to have a special map, a Desirable Purpose, so that you know exactly where you are going; a map that shows you the best course to take toward your biggest desire.
God gives us the Bible as a compass. The Bible can seem like it is a bunch of hard-to-understand stuff sometimes, but there is something so powerful about what the words in the Bible! When you read the words in the Bible, that alone will change your thinking, guiding you to create your own pathway through this life. In the Bible, God encourages you to do just that! You can plan where you want to go, but it is the Lord who will show you how to get there. You, Ellie, are created to design your life, but remember, the Bible is your compass that helps you to decide whether to turn right or to turn left toward your Desirable Purpose!
Creating Your Desirable Purpose
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- Think About What You Desire Most: Think of something that you really, really want to do, be, or have more than anything else. Keep this desire in your mind all the time. My biggest desire is: “I desire loving Jesus.” You can use that one if you like!
- A Couple More Desires: Ellie, now that you have your biggest desire, think of a couple other desires that will working together, helping you to achieve your biggest desire! For example, if your biggest desire is, “I desire loving Jesus,” a wonderful desire to go with that may be, “I desire being kind.” Loving Jesus will help you to be kind, Ellie! Who can you be kind to? Well, you can be kind to everyone around you, starting with mom and dad. When you are kind to mom and dad, this will make them feel good. When mom and dad feel good, you feel good! When everyone feels good in your home, God is smiling down on all three of you. So maybe another desire would be, “I desire helping everyone in my family feeling good.” This will create a wonderful list of desire:
I desire loving Jesus.
I desire being kind.
I desire everyone in my family feeling good. - Speak Your Desires: Twice a day, ask mommy or daddy to help you say your desires. This help you stay excited about the wonderful girl that you are becoming! Along with saying your desires out loud twice a day, you can practice writing them down, too. When you do this, you are actually creating the person you are becoming! God created you to create, Elllie! God is the Master Creator and you are a mini-creator because He created you to be like Him!
Every Day Can Be Wonderful!
Ellie, I imagine you are such a wonderful and delightful girl who is just so nice to be around. Mommy and daddy tell me how happy they are being your parents! I’m so proud of you. By focusing everyday on what you desire, you are doing something that no other four-year-old girl has ever done. Keep it up! You can desire becoming an extraordinary child of God! Do you know that you are royalty? That’s right! God is our King, Master Designer of all that is good! You, me, mommy, and daddy are all children of the King, that makes you a princess of the heavenly Kingdom!
We all get stuck sometimes! I get stuck sometimes and it is not my favorite at all. If you feel stuck, it’s okay! Just remember, you are always practicing, always practicing to be the girl you would like to become.
By doing this, you’re not just dreaming; you are designing a life that you want to live in. Speaking your desires every day is like carving a path through the woods of life. Finding your way through the woods can be fun, exciting, and scary, but God will be with you and will help you when you get stuck.
I’m so glad that you taken some time to spend with me today, Ellie! Remember, God wants to give you the desires of your heart. You can use your mind to fill your heart with desire. Focus on loving Jesus and He will guide you forward to enjoy a life beyond your imagination.