"Remember the sabbath day"

[Of Special Interest to Children]

DENICE R. KOCH

The fourth commandment begins (Ex. 20:8), "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy." Jean never failed to remember these words after what happened at school one year.

Jean attended the Christian Science Sunday School every Sunday. Once in a while Ellen, her little neighbor, went with her. But Ellen's parents usually went to their farm out in the country on Sunday mornings, and of course Ellen went along.

Very early one snowy Sunday morning Ellen, all excited, came over to invite Jean to go with her and her parents to the farm. They would leave at nine o'clock with skis, sleds, and skates so that they could skate, coast, and ski to their heart's content; then they would have dinner at the farmhouse. But Jean's father said that Jean could not accept the invitation. "I'm sorry, dear, but this is Sunday; and Sunday School must come first," he said.

Ellen went dejectedly home. And later on a rather tearful Jean set out for church with her mother and father. Her father promised to take her coasting in the afternoon, but she was still unhappy.

To Jean's surprise her Sunday School teacher chose the fourth commandment for study that day. When Jean told her what had happened that morning, her teacher lovingly pointed out to Jean that she was unhappy because she was looking in the wrong direction. She was thinking about the fun she was missing instead of looking for the reward that always comes when we obey the commandments.

The teacher then read to the class these verses from Psalm 19: "The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart....And in keeping of them there is great reward." She explained that the word "statutes" means laws or commandments.

She then read from Science and Health by Mrs. Eddy (p. 183), "Obedience to Truth gives man power and strength." She told them that Mrs. Eddy also says in another of her books (The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany, p. 165), "Goodness never fails to receive its reward, for goodness makes life a blessing."

Next the teacher said: "Of course, we gain a little understanding of Truth each day by studying the Lesson-Sermon in the Christian Science Quarterly. You remember Christ Jesus taught us to pray (Matt. 6:11), 'Give us this day our daily bread.' But the Sabbath, or Sunday, is a very special day on which we may come together to learn more about God. Always remember that we make the best use of the Sabbath day by thanking God for all good, by learning more about Him, and by obeying His commandments."

That afternoon it snowed too hard for Jean to go coasting. She was tempted to feel sorry for herself, but instead she thought of what her teacher had said. Suddenly she remembered that she had to write an essay for school —an essay about Abraham Lincoln. The paper was due on Tuesday, so she spent the afternoon writing.

The next day Jean handed in her paper. The following week her teacher told the class that the city's largest newspaper had offered a prize for the best paper on Lincoln by that class and that Jean's paper had been chosen to receive the reward. She then asked Jean to come forward and placed in her hands a bronze medal.

When the next Sunday came, Jean told her class that now she knew it was really true that "in keeping [the commandments] there is great reward." She still treasures her medal and never forgets to "remember the sabbath day."

Continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; and that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.—

II Timothy 3:14,15.

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