Dear Children: - You have seen the sun in the sky. Who put the sun in the sky ? - God.
Can you reach up so high ? - No.
Who holds up the sun that it does not fall ? - It is God. God lives in heaven; heaven is much higher than the sun.
Can you see God ? - No. Yet He can see you, for God sees everything.
God made everything at first, and God takes care of everything. God made you, my little child, and God takes care of you always.
You have a little body; from your head down to your feet, I call your body.
Put your hand before
your mouth. What do you feel coming out of your mouth ? It is your
breath. You breathe every moment. When you are asleep, you breathe. You
cannot help breathing. But who gives you breath ? God does everything.
God gave you this little body, and he makes it live, and move, and
breathe. There are bones in your body. God has made them strong and
hard. There are some bones for your arms, and some bones for your legs.
There is a bone for your back, and more bones for you sides.
God has covered your
bones with flesh. Your flesh is soft and warm. In your flesh there is
blood. God has put skin outside, and it covers your flesh and blood like
a coat. Now all these things, the bones, and flesh, and blood, and
skin, are called your body. How kind of God it was to give you a body. I
hope that your body will not get hurt.
Will your bones break ? - Yes, they would, if you were to fall down from a high place, or if a cart were to go over them.
If you were to be very sick, your flesh would waste away, and you would have scarcely anything left but skin and bones.
Did you ever see a
child who had been sick a very long while ? I have seen a sick baby. It
had not round cheeks like yours, and a fat arm like this. The baby’s
flesh was almost gone, and its little bones were only covered with skin.
God has kept you strong and well.
How easy it would be to hurt your poor little body !
If it were to fall
into the fire, it would be burned up. If hot water were thrown upon it,
it would be scalded. If it were to fall into deep water, and not be
taken out very soon, it would be drowned. If a great knife were run
through your body, the blood would come out. If a great box were to fall
on your head, your head would be crushed. If you were to fall out of
the window, your neck would be broken. If you were not to eat some food
for a few days, your little body would be very sick, your breath would
stop, and you would grow cold, and you would soon be dead.
You see that you have a very weak little body.
Can you keep your own body from being sick, and from getting hurt ?
You should try not
to hurt yourself, but God only can keep your body from all harm, from
fire and water, from wounds and bruises, and all kinds of sickness.
Kneel down and say to God, “Pray keep my poor little body from getting
hurt.” God will hear you, and go on taking care of you.
My little body’s made by God
Of soft warm flesh and crimson blood:
The slender bones are placed within,
And over all is laid the skin.
My little body’s very weak;
A fall or blow my bones might break:
The water soon might stop my breath;
The fire might close my eyes in death.
But God can keep me by his care;
To him I’ll say this little pray’r:
“O God ! from harm my body keep,
Both when I wake and when I sleep.”
