Rosa was a happy little Italian girl just 10 years old with black sparkling eyes and curly hair. She attended a Sunday school conducted by a Christian lady who told the little Italian children the story of Jesus’ love.
One day Rosa came to the class downcast and sad. Her kind teacher took her apart from the other children and said to her, “Rosa, you look very sad today; what is the matter?”
The little girl looked up mournfully into her face and said, “Because I have been thinking about what you told me. I was wondering if Jesus cares for me or not; do you think He does?” and her eyes filled with tears.
“Yes, Rosa, Jesus loves you. Did He not come down from His happy home in heaven to show His love for sinners? And did He not say when He was down here, ‘Suffer little children to come unto Me'? How then can you doubt that He loves you? Can you repeat the verse that tells you so, Rosa?”
Rosa repeated the verse slowly.
“Well, Rosa, who do you think that means, you or me? Does Jesus invite big folks like me, or little ones like you, to come to Him?”
The little girl clapped her hands with delight. “It’s for me!” she exclaimed. “It’s for me, for me! Jesus loves me; now I know!”
From that day on, Rosa believed that Jesus loved her, and she loved Him in return. She became a lamb of the Good Shepherd’s flock, one of His faithful little followers.
ML-04/24/1977