Keys for Kids - daily devotions and Bible stories ... - The Leaky Faucet

Read: Psalm 78:34-39; Ephesians 4:26-32 “Stop following me around, Diego!” Santos yelled at his little brother. “But I want to be with you,” Diego said tearfully. “I don’t care! I’m tired of you following me everywhere!” Santos said as he stormed out of the house. Later that day, Santos went inside to get a snack. “What are you doing?” he asked when he found his dad under the kitchen sink. Dad crawled out from under the sink and fumbled around in his toolbox. “Oh, the faucet is leaking again, and I’m trying to fix it. Ever since it started leaking, I just can’t seem to get it to stop! I may have to call in a professional.” Dad sighed, somewhat discouraged, then went back to work as Santos continued to look for something to eat. A few minutes later, Dad gave up trying to fix the faucet and sat down at the table. “You know, we can be like that faucet sometimes,” he said. Santos looked confused. “What do you mean?” “When we get angry with someone and respond to them harshly, it’s a lot like water dripping from a leak. Once it gets started, it’s hard to mend. The faucet was never the same after I tried to fix it, just like our feelings toward one another are never quite the same when we try to fix them ourselves. We need to call in a professional!” “A professional? Like who?” Santos asked. “Jesus!” Dad answered. “We need to call on Him to fix the leak in our relationships. The only way to stop anger from leaking out of our hearts and hurting others is for Him to replace it with His love. We need to remember how much He loves us and then trust Him to help us respond to others with love and forgiveness instead of anger.” Santos thought about how he had yelled at his little brother earlier that day. “I think I need to ask Jesus to fix a leak in my heart and then go apologize to Diego.” Dad smiled. “I think that’s a good idea. While you do that, I’m going to call a plumber!” –Elena Ketner How about you? Do you have a leak in a relationship that you just can’t seem to fix? Do mean, angry words spurt out of your mouth when you get upset? You can’t fix that leak on your own—you need a professional. Jesus is the only one who can fix the angry leak in your heart. Trust Him to help you love others the way He loves you so you can respond to them with kindness and forgiveness instead of anger. Today’s key verse: A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. Proverbs 15:1 (NKJV) Today’s key thought: God’s love can fix relationships