“I’m only 11 years old, and I can’t do very much for the Lord Jesus,” sighed Noni as she looked out the window. Big snowflakes were gently falling onto an already snow-covered yard. How pretty it all looked. The dark green pine trees were loaded down with snow. Their lower branches were bent so low that they almost touched the snow on the ground. Even the bare branches of the oak trees stood out as the smallest twigs carried a layer of snow.
“God’s creation is so beautiful,” she thought. “I don’t understand why people don’t love God or His Son when they see all the beautiful things He made for us.”
Looking at the big oak tree, Noni could see her swing hanging from the lowest main branch. She had played on it so much last summer. As she thought of those happy times she recalled how pretty everything looked then, too. She could remember the pretty flowers in her mother’s garden. What deep, rich colors the asters had. Now they were all gone, and the garden was covered with a beautiful snow blanket. Noni really enjoyed what God had created since she knew the Lord Jesus Christ as her Saviour. Now her heart seemed to bubble over with a special happiness, and everything looked so beautiful.
“Oh, Mother,” she said as her mother walked into the room, “if only everybody knew Jesus! How happy they would be! I think I’ll take a walk down the street and if I see somebody I’ll tell them about Jesus.”
“Noni,” said her mother, “most people don’t want to hear about the Lord Jesus. They would probably laugh at you and maybe even get angry.”
Noni turned back to the window again, deep in thought. Then turning to her mother again she said, “But maybe someone wants to hear about Jesus. May I go to the store?”
“We really don’t need anything, but your school shoes do need to go down to old Aldo at the shoe repair shop.”
“Good, I’ll take them,” Noni exclaimed jumping up. “Maybe I’ll tell old Mr. Valentini about the Lord Jesus. He’s such a nice, friendly old man.”
On went her boots, her heavy-hooded jacket and mittens. Then putting her school shoes in a bag she started to leave. “Don’t worry if I’m a little late. I do want to tell Mr. Valentini about Jesus.”
Mother smiled as she said, “Good, you just do that, and I’ll be praying for you. But don’t be disappointed if he doesn’t listen to you.”
Noni said her own little prayer as she walked through the snow tards the shopping center. She asked the Lord Jesus to give her the right words to say.
Mr. Valentini was the only person in the store when Noni got there. She showed him what had to be fixed on her shoes. Looking at them closely he said that it would be a couple of days before he could finish them.
“That’s all right,” Noni said. “I’m on vacation now for two weeks.”
As Mr. Valentini was writing up the order ticket Noni told him about the Saviour who loved him so much. The old man sat down on a chair and listened. Noni continued with, “We are all sinners. We have sin inside of us. We were born that way. Nothing can save us except the blood of the Lord Jesus. He died to wash away our sins. His blood can wash them all away. He was punished for our sins so that we can go to heaven. And the best thing of all is that He is alive today. He’s coming back very soon to take everyone back to heaven who knows Him as their Saviour.”
Old Aldo sat quietly. He was amazed. What could he say to this child with her simple story? Noni noticed tears in Mr. Valentini’s eyes. “Pray for me, little miss,” he said.
Noni left the store and raced home. She told her mother the whole story. She ended it by saying, “I’m sure Mr. Valentini loves the Lord Jesus after I told him about Him.”
“Let’s pray for him, just like he asked us to,” Mother suggested. Then she and Noni kneeled down and asked the Lord Jesus to save dear, old Aldo Valentini.
Two days later Noni went back to the shoe repair shop to pick up her shoes. When Mr. Valentini saw her a big smile crossed his face. He came right around the counter and took Noni’s hand. “Little miss,” he began, “your Saviour is now my Saviour, too. My sins are all gone now. Thank you for telling me about Jesus.”
Mr. Valentini heard about the Lord Jesus from Noni. Many others heard about Him from Mr. Valentini. He gave gospel tracts to everyone that came into his little shop and told them a little about his Saour. He also found the love of the Lord Jesus to be “something worth telling.”
Have you accepted Him as your Saviour? If you have, why not tell someone about Him today? There are many sad people who would like to hear about your Saviour. Wouldn’t it be nice if they heard about Him from you?
ML-01/03/1982