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Stories for Teens

Christian’s (Pilgrim) Progress (Part Six)

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    The fire was crackling, and the curtains pulled, as the family heard Uncle Jeff’s car coming up the drive. “Ooh, goody!” cried Betty, “Here’s Uncle Jeff, now we can have more story tonight!” “Now,” said Dad, “Don’t go pestering him as soon as he comes inside, he has to have a break first.”     So after Uncle Jeff had been talking grown-up talk with Dad for a while, he said, “I guess you want more story, Betty!” “Ooh, yes please Uncle Jeff,” Betty cried, and Bobby echoed her too. So they all settled down in front of the fire, along with Sarah and Mum and Dad this time too. “Can you remember where we got up to?” Uncle Jeff asked. “There were those three men asleep on the side of the track, and they were too lazy to move,” said Bobby.

   “That’s right,” said Uncle Jeff, “Well, Christian carried on walking along the track, and soon found himself going along beside a high stone wall.  He was busy thinking  as he walked along with his head down,  and didn’t see two guys climbing up from the other side and balancing on the top of the wall. Suddenly they lost their balance and fell down on top of Christian, knocking him to the ground.” “Silly man”, said Betty, “He should have been watching what was happening!” “That’s right’, said Uncle Jeff, “But sometimes we are like that too, and we don’t watch out for things that can knock us over. Things like something happening to our Mum and Dad’. “Yes”, said Sarah, “That happened to Leila at school last week, her mum and dad were in a car accident and ended up in hospital!”

“What happened then, Uncle Jeff?” Bobby wanted to know. “Christian asked them what they thought they were doing and what their names were. ‘I’m Double- Minded’, said the first one, ‘and he’s Perfectionist. We’re going to the Celestial City’.

‘So am I’, said Christian, ‘but didn’t you know that you’ve come in the wrong way? There’s only one way to the Celestial City and that’s through the Gate and past the Cross. Anyone who tries to get in any other way is a thief and a robber’.

‘Who do you think you are?’ they asked rudely, ‘Our way is just as good as yours!’ And they flounced off pushing past him and going on up the hill.    As Christian went over the hill, he saw them at the creek at the bottom on the other side having a drink. He soon caught up to them and had a quick drink before heading on up the road which was called Difficulty. ‘Is that the right way to go?’ called out Double-Minded, ‘It is for me,’ said Christian, ‘because it is the straight and narrow way and it is the way my Book told me to go.’ ‘Well,’ said Perfectionist, ‘there’s this other road around the bottom, and I’m going that way’. ‘And I’m going this way,’ said Double-Minded and we’ll all meet around the other side of the hill’. ‘Well, I hope we do,’ said Christian ,’but I’m sticking to the straight and narrow road’, and he set off up the hill.

   Perfectionist set off on his road which was called Danger, and ended up in the middle of a big forest where he got lost and wandered around until he died of hunger and thirst. Double-Minded took the other easy road which was called Destruction and he ended up in a large rocky area where he fell down a cliff face and died from his injuries. Meantime, Christian carried on up the hill singing a song as he went, not knowing what had happened to the other two.

And that’s enough for today”, said Uncle Jeff, “It’s time I went home and we’ll carry on with the story next time!”

Stories for Teens

Pilgrim’s Progress (Part Five)

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    Sarah came in from school and threw her bag on the floor. “Sarah”, Mum said sternly, “How many times have I told you to put your bag on the counter and unload it before you put it on the floor?” “Sorry Mum”, Sarah said as she picked it up again and started to do as she was told. “When do you think we will see Uncle Jeff again?” “Well, we are going over to his place tomorrow to get some firewood”, Mum said. “Ooh goody”, Sarah said, “I hope he has some time to tell us some more story!” “I thought you weren’t all that interested in it,” Mum said. “Aw, it’s alright”, Sarah said, “Bobby likes listening to it anyway!” Mum smiled to herself as Sarah busied herself putting her things away.

   The next day, the family loaded up their trailer with wood at Uncle Jeff’s place and then went inside for a cup of tea. While the other grown-ups were busy talking in the kitchen, Bobby said to Uncle Jeff, “What happened to Pilgrim after he lost his back-pack, Uncle Jeff?” “Yes, what happened?” Betty piped up. “Well, come and sit down over here, and I’ll tell you some more”, Uncle Jeff said. Sarah quickly came over and sat down beside them. “Well, you know good things don’t always keep happening to you, especially after something specially good has happened,” Uncle Jeff said, “And this is what happened to Pilgrim. He felt so light-hearted and happy after his back-pack had gone. Somehow he knew that he was different, and that he was already thinking differently. He even told himself that he would call himself by a new name…he would be called Christian from now on.

   While he was walking along quietly singing to himself, he spotted three men lying down asleep on the side of the road. He could see that they were each one chained to a peg there. ‘Hello, my good fellows’, he said cheerfully, ‘why don’t you get up and come with me? I’m going to the Heavenly City and it’s a bit dangerous to be sleeping on the side of the road like this’, and he held out his hand to the first one. ‘What’s your name?’ he asked. ‘My name is Simple,’ the man said yawning, and he rolled over, ‘I can’t see any danger here’, he said and snuggled down again. “Well”, said Christian as he prodded the next man, ‘What’s your name my good fellow?’ ‘My name is Lazy’, he said, “Don’t disturb me, I can’t be bothered moving’. Christian shrugged his shoulders and went over to the third man whose name was Know-all. He was snoring loudly and Christian had a hard job to wake him up at all. ‘Would you like me to help get the chain off your leg?’ Christian asked. ‘There’re no chains on our legs,’ Know-all said sleepily, ‘There was nothing there when we lay down’. But when he looked down he could see that they were indeed, chained. ‘I think the enemy has done this while you were asleep’, Christian said, ‘Don’t you know that he walks around like a roaring lion, seeing who he can tie up?’ ‘Oh, go away and leave us alone’, the three of them mumbled, so Christian went on his way, not quite so cheerfully as he had been before.

“So, what happened to them in the end?” Bobby asked. “They just stayed where they were and never did get to the Heavenly City, I suppose”, said Sarah. “What lesson do you get out of that Bobby?” Uncle Jeff said. “It doesn’t pay to be lazy and never get around to doing anything about these sort of things,” Bobby replied. “That’s right Bobby,” said Uncle Jeff, “And we have to remember these things and make sure that you DO something about them. But I think that had better be enough for today, as your Mum and Dad will be wanting to get back home with all this wood!”

  

Grandma's Stories, Stories for Teens

Pilgrim’s Progress (4)

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“Shush Betty”, said Bobby, “Let Uncle Jeff get on with the story! Did Pilgrim ever get to the narrow gate?”

“Yes, he surely did”, Uncle Jeff said, “And when he got there he saw some writing across the top of the gate. It said: KNOCK AND IT SHALL BE OPENED FOR YOU!

Pilgrim knocked loudly but nothing happened. He lay on the ground puffing with the effort and disappointment, and crying out loud. Suddenly he heard a noise above him and looked up. A man was standing there looking at him lying on the ground.

‘Where have you come from and where do you want to go?’ he asked kindly, ‘My name is Kindness, and I can help you’.

‘Oh Sir,’ said Pilgrim, ‘I have come from the City of Destruction and I’m heading to the Heavenly City. Am I going the right way?’

‘Yes, you must come in right away’, and he grabbed Pilgrim by the shoulder and dragged him inside the gate.

‘What’s the hurry?’ asked Pilgrim.

‘Do you see that castle over there to the side?’ asked Kindness, ‘That is where the evil Beelzebub lives. He tries to stop people coming through this gate, and shoots small sharp darts at them with poison on their tips to drug them’.

Pilgrim looked through the window and saw the castle that Kindness was talking about. ‘Oh thank-you for pulling me to safety!’ he cried. ‘ How can I get rid of my back-pack , it is getting so heavy!’

‘I can’t do it for you’, said Kindness, ‘you have to go on a little further and you will find how you can get rid of it’

‘Oh thank-you again’, Pilgrim said as he left and carried on his way. The road was not always easy, and it was very stony in places making him stumble and almost fall. But he kept thinking about getting rid of the back-pack, and having things easier.    He carried on a little further and around a corner, he could see a small rise with a wooden cross on the top of it. It seemed to glow with a soft light, and he stood still a while looking at it. He could hear a small voice saying in his mind, ‘come to Me and I will give you rest’. Pilgrim put his hands up and went closer to the Cross.

 ‘Oh please help me’, he cried, ‘This load is SO heavy, it’s more than I can bear’.

Suddenly, the straps on his backpack loosened, and the heavy load went tumbling down the hill, leaving him feeling so light and happy. He felt like a new person, as all the old things he once thought were important were gone, and he had new feelings of peace and joy. He had never felt like this before…he now had a new name as well as new thoughts and feelings and knew that he was going to this new land he had been reading about; in fact, he was looking forwards to it with all his heart.”

“I know what this story is all about now”, Bobby said, “It is telling us how a person gets to be a Christian by telling Jesus we are sorry for our sins and they all roll away”.

“That’s right”, said Uncle Jeff, “Do you think this is the end of the story and it is all going to be happy ever after?”

“No”, said Sarah from where she had been listening, “Because all sorts of bad things can happen to Christians too. So what happened to Christian after he left the cross?”

“I think we’ve had enough for now”, Uncle Jeff said, ” we’ll think about what’s happened so far in our story and then we’ll have another session next time!”

“Thanks Uncle Jeff”, Sarah said as she got off her chair.

“Yes, thanks Uncle Jeff”, Betty chimed in as she jumped off the couch beside Uncle Jeff, “Come on Bobby, race you upstairs!”

Grandma's Stories, Stories for Teens, Uncategorized

Pilgrim’s Progress (3)

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Still on the way to Losing the Back-Pack

     Bobby was busy setting the table and whistling tunelessly as he did it. “Did Uncle Jeff always like telling stories?” he asked his mother. “I remember when he was little we could never be sure whether he was telling us stories or things that had really happened”, she said, “Yes, he has always liked telling stories”.

After tea was over, Betty grabbed Uncle Jeff’s hand, and said, “Come over here Uncle Jeff, we want to hear more story’. When they were settled down (with Sarah not far away again), Uncle Jeff said, “Well, where did we get up to?” “ Pilgrim wanted to get rid of his back-pack but he didn’t know how to”, Bobby said. “That’s right, I remember now,” said Uncle Jeff and he carried on with the story.

Pilgrim’s  heavy back-pack seemed to be heavier than ever. Suddenly he saw another person coming towards him. This was Mr. Smarty-Pants and he lived in the village of Selfishness just around the hill out of sight. ‘What are you carrying that heavy back-pack for?’ he wanted to know. ‘I’m going to the little gate beside that Light over there, and they’ll tell me how to get rid of it’, Pilgrim said. ‘Why don’t you take it off yourself?’ ask Mr. Smarty-Pants. ‘I can’t budge it’, said Pilgrim, ‘Nothing I can do will move it’. ‘How did you get this heavy load anyway?’ Mr. Smarty-Pants wanted to know. ‘It came upon me while I was reading this book I have here’, Pilgrim said. ‘Oh, I know all about that’, Smarty-Pants said with a wink, ‘You shouldn’t have been meddling with things that you don’t understand. Who told you to come this way anyway?’ ‘A man called Evangelist’, he replied. ‘He’s a dangerous man that’, said Smarty-Pants, ‘He’s always telling people that there’s only one way to get to the Kingdom. He’s so narrow minded, he doesn’t know what he is talking about! You want to watch out for that Gate….the road through there is so narrow and hard, and there are lions and dragons ready to grab you every step of the way.’

  Smarty-Pants still hadn’t finished with Pilgrim and he told him to come and live in the same village of Selfishness where he was. He would be able to just think about himself there and everything would be so easy. Pilgrim thought this was a good idea, and he turned to go there while Smarty-Pants went the other way.      But the weather started to get dull and it began to rain. Then he could hear thunder begin to rumble. ‘Whatever shall I do?’ he thought as he put his head down and struggled on. ‘Hullo my good man”, he heard someone say, and he looked up to see who it was. It was Evangelist standing there holding a raincoat for him. ‘Here, put this on. What are you doing here?’ he asked, ‘Did you forget that I told you not to leave the trail?’ Pilgrim hung his head in shame. ‘Smarty-Pants said it would be an easier road and that I would lose my back-pack sooner’, he muttered. ‘You should remember what the King says to those who turn away…He says, ‘My soul has no pleasure in them! ‘ ‘Oh, I’m so sorry’, cried Pilgrim, ‘ Is there any hope for me?’ ‘Of course there is’, said Evangelist kindly, ‘There’s the path over there, just follow it to the gate and you will find help there.’

“He was a silly man, wasn’t he?” Betty interrupted, “He should have kept on the right path!” “Yes, he should have,” uncle Jeff said, “We can learn a lesson from this for ourselves, and that is to never give up staying on the right road even if it DOES seem harder than the other ways”.

Stories for Teens

Pilgrim’s Progress (2)

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. Uncle Jeff was just visiting his young friends again, and Betty said, “You were going to tell us more of that story, Uncle”. That’s right”, he said, “Exactly where did we get up to in it?” “I remember,” said Bobby who had just come into the room, “Weren’t his friends wanting him to come back to them instead of going to the gate in the distance?” “That’s right,” said Uncle Jeff. “Yes, and he was a very worried man,” chimed in Sarah who came in then too, “What happened next, Uncle Jeff?”

  “Well, let’s see,” said Uncle Jeff, “His two friends ran after him and tried to get him to turn around. One was called Twisty, and the other one was Obstinate. ‘No, no!’ Pilgrim said, “I’m not going to listen to you. I’ve come from the City of Destruction and I want to find the City of Life where I’ll be safe”.     As he turned to carry on, Twisty said to him, “I’ve a good mind to come with you’, and he started to go with him. “Well, I’m going home’, said Obstinate, ‘I’m not going to be seen with you two crack-pots’, and he went back home. ‘Tell me more of what you expect to find’, Twisty said as they carried on. ‘Well it’s a wonderful place’, Pilgrim said, ‘And I know it’s true because the One Who wrote this book cannot tell a lie’.

“I know who that is”, Bobby said, interrupting Uncle Jeff, “I bet it is meaning that it’s God!” “That’s right Bobby”, said Uncle Jeff, and carried on with the story….

“Pilgrim got quite excited as he was walking along talking to Twisty. ‘It’s an awfully long way’, Twisty said after a bit, and he began to slow down. ‘Oh, but it’s worth it when you get there’, said Pilgrim, and he carried on telling him all about what to expect. The next thing they knew was that the ground had got very wet and slippery and before they knew it, they were up to their middles in a swampy bit of ground. ‘Oh, this is the Swamp of Despair’, Pilgrim said, ‘I’ve heard of it. It’s so easy to caught in this’ ‘This is dreadful’ cried Twisty, ‘I didn’t know it was going to be this hard. Yuk!’ and he spat some of the mud out of his mouth. ‘Why didn’t you watch where you were going?’ he snapped at Pilgrim, ‘If I ever get out of this, I’m going right back home!’ He heaved himself out of the slimy mud and splashed his way back to solid ground. ‘You can carry on by yourself’, he called out to Pilgrim, ‘I’m off!’ And Pilgrim didn’t see him again.”

“Why did he give up so easy?” Betty wanted to know, “I wouldn’t have! I’d have kept going!” “Well, you see some people don’t like trouble and they go back where they’ve come from when things get hard”, Uncle Jeff said. “That’s right,” Bobby chimed in, “and Pilgrim kept on going, slipping and sliding in the mud. So how did he get out?” Uncle Jeff carried on, “Well, as he got to the other side, a man called Help came and pulled him out onto solid ground. “What a horrible place that swamp is!” said Pilgrim, “Why is it like that?” ‘Well, it’s like this,” Help said, “People keep throwing all their good deeds in here to make a solid path through it, but nothing works, it all keeps getting more mucky all the time. All peoples’ good deeds just keep sinking deeper and deeper into the filth. The King has put down stepping stones to get through safely, but most people don’t see them, and they just fall in thinking the good things they do will keep them clean. It doesn’t work,’ said Help. ‘Well, it’s well named Swamp of Despair’, Pilgrim said, ‘I nearly gave up, but I’m going to carry on now you helped me get out’, and he waved goodbye  to Help as he carried on. So Pilgrim carried on his journey towards the Light in the distance.

“What happened then?” Bobby asked. “We’ll leave that for next time,” Uncle Jeff said, “I don’t want you to forget the lessons in this part of the story.” “I guess the lesson this time is that our good works don’t help us when we get to the end of this trip through our life,” Sarah, “We have to trust in Jesus instead”.

“That’s right Sarah,” Uncle Jeff said, “Now I really must go. See you all next time!”

Stories for Teens

Pictures from Pilgrim’s Progress (1)

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“When’s Uncle Jeff coming round again, Mum?” Bobby asked one day after school. “Well, as a matter of fact, he’s coming round for tea tonight”, Mum said. “Oh good” said Bobby, “I wonder if he has any more stories for us!” “You’ll have to ask him when he gets here”, Mum said with a smile, “I’m sure he’ll have something to tell you anyway!” She knew that Uncle Jeff loved telling stories and he was very good at it.

   After tea was over, and Uncle Jeff was sitting comfortably on the couch, Bobby went along and snuggled up beside him. “Can you tell us a story please Uncle Jeff?” he asked. “Oh, please”, Betty said and got up on the other side of him. Even Sarah pulled a chair up and pretended she was reading a book, but she was really listening to what Uncle Jeff was telling the others.

“Well, it’s like this”, Uncle Jeff said, “I picked up this book that I had when I was little like you Bobby, and I thought that it was a really good story to tell you children next time I came round”. “What’s it called?” Bobby asked. “Well, it’s what is called a parable story”, Uncle Jeff said, “That means it’s an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. Here goes….

  ” There was once a man whose name was Pilgrim, who was walking along a road away from his house. He had this huge bundle on his back like a back-pack and he was crying and sighing a lot as he went along. He was reading a book as he went, and it only seemed to make him sadder than ever. ‘Oh, what shall I do?’ he cried out loud.    When he went home to his wife and family, he would wipe his eyes, and blow his nose and try to be cheerful. One day his wife said to him, ‘I know something is bothering you. What are you reading in that book all the time?’ ‘Oh my dear’, he said, ‘ It tells me that dreadful things are going to come on this world, and I don’t know how to be saved from them’. But his wife had seen him like this other times, and she tried to cheer him up.    One day, he was walking along the road again, when he met a man whose name was Evangelist. ‘Why are you so upset?’ Evangelist wanted to know. ‘This book I’m reading tells me that there are dreadful things going to happen and I’m not ready for them. I want to know how to be saved from them. This back-pack I’m carrying seems to get heavier every time I read this book’. ‘Well, you’d better get ready for this by going to that little gate right over the other side of this paddock. See that light over there? Head straight for it and you will find what to do when you get there”. ‘Oh, thank-you so much’, Pilgrim said and set off at a good pace for the light. His wife and friends saw him going and they called out to him, ‘Come back, come back’, but he started to run.

“I think we’ll leave it there for now,” Uncle Jeff said, “We want to have time for the meaning of it all to sink in, otherwise it will only run  off”. “It seems funny that he ran away at that stage” Bobby said thoughtfully. “Oh, well, we’ll find out what happens next time”, Uncle Jeff said, “It’s time for me to go and talk to the others now”. “Ohhh,” said Betty, “I can hardly wait!”

Stories for Teens

Who’s Driving Your Car?

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   Sarah was sitting in church one Sunday morning with her mind only half on what the speaker was saying. ….

   “I’m going to tell you a modern day parable to illustrate what I’m trying to get across to you”, he said, “We hear people talk about being ‘filled with the Holy Spirit, and allowing Him to control you’. The Apostle Paul tells us that we are to allow the Holy Spirit to fill us….we are not to be controlled by strong drink like a drunk person, but we are to allow Him to control us in the same way….”

    Sarah suddenly sat up when she heard the preacher say….”It’s like this. Imagine you are driving your car along the road of life, and you see a hitch-hiker with his thumb up asking for a ride. You somehow know that this is the Lord Jesus asking to come into your life. You have the choice of either going straight past Him or stopping and giving Him a lift. Most people will just go straight past Him and not give Him a thought. But perhaps you think you would like to ask Him into the car with you.     You stop and let Him in….but where are you going to put Him? In the luggage compartment? No, you are not that mean. In the back seat then? Well, no, you would like to talk to Him a bit on the trip. What if He asked for the keys of the car? No way, you think, I’m driving this car and I want to go here or there where I please.     This is just what we all do with the Lord Jesus…we might let Him drive a short distance after we’ve been to camp and got a spiritual lift, or after hearing a good speaker at church. But then you simply HAVE to make a stop along the way, and when you get back into the car, you are back behind the wheel again!”    Sarah sighed. Why did preachers always have to put you on the spot? She knew very well that there were times when she did wrong things and went to wrong places or looked at wrong things, and that Jesus certainly wasn’t driving her car at those times.     The preacher finished his talk, but the things that he said stuck in Sarah’s mind, and as she got older she always thought of this little parable whenever she was tempted to do something she knew wouldn’t please the Lord.     She really DID want to let Him drive her “car” but it wasn’t always easy. After all what was it the Lord Jesus said to His disciples?  “If any person will follow Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me”. (Luke 9:23)

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Pilgrim’s Progress 13.

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The Moral of the Story.

    Uncle Jeff was at the family’s home again one day, and Betty snuggled up to him. “Has our story about Pilgrim all finished now?” she asked. “Of course it has, silly,” said Bobby , “He got to the Celestial City where he was going to, don’t you remember?”

Sarah came in then and she said, “Where did this story come from Uncle Jeff? Who wrote it and exactly what did it mean? I mean I can see some of the points of it, but what was it all about?” “That’s a very good question, Sarah,” Uncle Jeff said , “ And this is how it came about…..

There was a man called John Bunyan who lived in England  back in the 1600s…” “Oooh, that’s a long time ago!” said Betty, interrupting the story. “Yes, it sure was”, said Uncle Jeff,  “And he made his living by being a tinker.” “What’s that?” Bobby asked.

“A tinker was someone who travelled from place to place mending pots and pans and other things that needed mending,” Uncle Jeff said “But anyway. when John’s father died, he was still only a boy, but he had gone to school long enough to learn to read and write. He went to church, but didn’t really take much notice of what was said, and back then, there were strict rules for people to live by. They weren’t supposed to go to wild parties or anything like that, but young John did all of these things. For a while the Puritans were the ruling people of England, and tried to make people follow their rules. “

“What made John change his ideas about life then, Uncle Jeff?” Sarah wanted to know.

“Well, “ said Uncle Jeff slowly, “he was sent off to the civil war in England and one day as he was standing next to another soldier, that man was shot in the head, and John realised that if he had been in that man’s place, it would have been him that was shot. So it made him stop and think, that maybe God had some work that He wanted him to do. So John made a point of really listening to the sermons after that, and as he listened to the preacher, he wanted to be like that too.

So then John too, began to preach around the place. As time went by, new rules came in as the government changed, and people weren’t allowed to preach out in the open air any more. But that didn’t make any difference to John, he still went ahead and did it. One day the police came and arrested him and had him put in prison for preaching outside in the streets. The prison was a horrible place, it was smelly and dirty, and he was often on his own. But John stayed cheerful through it all, and said well, he could preach to the walls and still read his Bible so what did it matter!!      After a while, he was told that if he promised to stop preaching, he could be let out, but he felt he couldn’t do that, it would be letting the Lord down.”

“How long was he in prison altogether for then?” Bobby wanted to know.

“He was there for twelve years, Bobby,“  Uncle Jeff said, “ and it was while he was there thinking about his life and what had happened, that he had these dreams about Christian being a pilgrim travelling to the Celestial city, and all the things that happened to him on the way. Let’s see how many of these things you can remember now….why do you think his name was Pilgrim?” “It was because he was travelling through his life”, said Bobby. “That’s right,” said Uncle Jeff, “What was he carrying on his back?” “It was a heavy load,” said Sarah, “and he couldn’t get rid of it either, until he got to the cross where Jesus died. I suppose that’s like us knowing we are sinners and it feels like a load on our backs until we ask Jesus to take it away.”

“What other people did he meet on the way that you can remember about?” Uncle Jeff asked. “There was Mr. Helpful and Mr. Faithful , ”  Bobby said. “Yes, but there were the other sort that tried to stop him going to the city, Mr. Smarty-Pants, and Mr. Atheist too, “ said Sarah, “And they are the sort of  people we have to be careful not to have too much to do with in case they put us off.”

“Ooh, I remember there was that nasty mean Giant Despair that threw them into his dungeon!” Betty said. “I know what that means,” said Bobby, “It means that when things go wrong we can get down in the dumps and think that God has forgotten about us!” “What about the different places that Christian saw as he went along?” “Well, there was Vanity Fair where they were tempted to do wrong things,“ Sarah said, “And then there was By-Path Meadow where they left the narrow path to the city and thought there was an easier way to go and they nearly fell over the cliff.”

“So what do you think all these things mean for us?” Uncle Jeff asked. They were all quiet for a bit, thinking about the question. “I know, I know,” Betty piped up, “It means that when we follow Jesus we are not to get put off by bad things that happen to us, like if we get sick or have an accident.”

“It means that we mustn’t take the easy ways out,“  Sarah said, “that if we do, we might come to grief and miss out on what God really wants us to do.”

“It means that we have to think ahead, “ Bobby said slowly,  “Instead of doing things in a hurry, and making mistakes that we might be sorry about later”.

“Well, I can see that you have got the points that the story was trying to bring out,” Uncle Jeff said, “And what was the final outcome?” “When Christian came to the end of the road, even though it wasn’t going to be easy for him, he knew that the King was waiting for him on the other side,” Sarah said, “And we can be like that too….even though we don’t like the thought of dying, we know that the best for us is on the other side. Doesn’t the Bible say that to be with Christ is far better? I guess that is what we have to keep remembering. Even young people die sometimes, so it pays to be ready because we never know when that is going to be ! “

“Very good!”  Uncle Jeff said, “Now I think that warrants something to eat, look in my coat pocket and see what I brought for each of you!!”