The Very First Account of the
"I Love You, Jesus" Day



or, How to Feed a Boy With Happiness

Dedicated to my young friend, Jonas.
"And he was called the friend of God"
(James 2:23).


story and graphics by Katie Stewart


oala tossed his hat onto the polished table.

"Sure hope I'm not too late," he thought, tiptoeing through the hall. Koala's claws clicked on the wooden floor as he walked. "You're tardy, Koala! Again!" exclaimed a voice from the next room. "How did you know it was me?" asked Koala, entering the room with a surprised look on his face.

Leopard glanced up from the notepad that was resting on his hind leg. He smiled. "You couldn't stalk even a little old mouse, without letting it know you were coming," he mused.

"Never was a great hunter," Koala said,
rather grateful that he wasn't.
He excused himself for being late,
for this was a very important meeting.

"Walk in Wisdom... redeeming the time"
(Colossians 4:5).

Koala looked about the room and sat down
on the small footstool Teddy handed him.
Koala nodded "hello" to Raccoon
who was sitting on the red rug before the fireplace,
warming his striped tail;

Bunny was sitting in the rocking chair beside the window, busily knitting her "whatever-it-turns-out-to-be." Koala stared at the formless mass of yarn that was nestled on her lap. Koala turned his head side to side, trying to get a better angle. "Bunny?" he asked. "Yes?" answered Bunny, looking up from her creation. "What is it?" "Whatever it turns out to be, of course," Bunny replied, returning to her knitting. "Oh, of course," replied Koala, with a shrug.

"Let's get on with the business at hand,"said Leopard in his leader voice.
"As you all know, we are here today to plan tonight's celebration..."

"What's the celebration for?" interrupted Teddy. Ever since he was a cub, it had been hard for him to remember details. Somehow they just seemed to escape his notice.

"We're going to surprise our boy Jonas with an 'I Love You, Jesus' party," reminded Leopard, shaking his spotted head, because Teddy had so soon forgotten. "I think we should have... hmmmmm... let's see?" Leopard looked carefully at his clipboard, "antelope steaks would taste good, field mouse kabobs as a side dish, and green reeds with kangaroo rat meatballs for desert. Yummy!."

Hearing that "lotsa-meat" menu, Bunny looked up from her growing tangle of yarn and let out a disgusted groan. "I protest!" she exclaimed. "Leopard isn't qualified to make any decisions about party food for a boy!"

"Why not, Bunny?" asked Teddy, casually looking up from the little dust-bunny that raced along the floor board.

"Take heed what ye hear"
(Mark 4:24).

"Obviously, you weren't paying attention," asserted Bunny. "Anyone knows you can't serve antelope steaks and kangaroo meatballs to a little boy!"

"No? Why not?" asked Raccoon, who liked an occasional snack of someone's leftover meatloaf. Turning his ringed tail away from the comfortable warmth of the fire, he licked his forepaw and began grooming a spot that just wasn't getting properly cleaned.

"Well... I can't remember the exact reason why," hesitated Bunny, in her muddle-minded way. "But just ask any animal-- any animal at all, and they'll tell you it's so. Why-- it's absolutely common knowledge!"

"The LORD giveth Wisdom: out of His mouth cometh knowledge and understanding"
(Proverbs 2:6).

"You're getting fur all over the place," pointed out Leopard, shaking Raccoon's black and brown fur from his clipboard. "Since Bunny says boys don't eat antelope steaks and kangaroo rat meatballs, maybe chocolate coated grasshoppers and fried spiders would be tastier," suggested Leopard.

"Mmmmmm!" Raccoon said, smacking his lips. "They're my favorites!"

"Maybe Jonas would prefer eucalyptus leaves," said Koala. "I have a few branches left over from lunch," he offered.

"I hardly think eucalyptus leaves and assorted insects are proper for our boy," replied Bunny, giving a confused sigh. "At least, I hardly think so."

"Well," answered Leopard, "what do-o-o-o little boys eat?"

"PIZZA!" chimed in Teddy, cheerfully remembering a happy detail about their boy, Jonas, that pizza had put a smile on him in the past.

"Therefore watch, and remember"
(Acts 20:31).

"And chocolate chip cookies,"added Raccoon. "I once tipped over a garbage can that had wonderful chocolate chip cookies!" he said, patting his tummy.

And if Raccoon liked cookies so much, surely their boy would like them, too. In fact, if it added to Jonas' happiness and enjoyment, Raccoon decided, quite suddenly, that he would give his cookies to Jonas to eat as tomorrow's snack. This thought of sharing made him very happy.

"Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded"
(Philippians 2:2).

"Vanilla ice cream would go well with that," Leopard said, jotting down the new menu on his clipboard. After all, someone else's ideas could be good ones, too. Some even better than his own!

The pencil fell once or twice from his paws,
for everyone knows that leopards may be fast runners,
but they are very poor writers.




Later that night...

"Look at the time!" exclaimed Bunny,
thoughtfully pointing to the clock.

"I hope everything is ready for our little friend.
Why, Jonas will be here at any moment!"


Every animal quickly scrambled to find just the right hiding place that would surprise Jonas the very most.

Koala hid in the broom closet. He was on time, tonight. He didn't want to spoil the surprise for Jonas by being late.

"The LORD appointed a set time"
(Exodus 9:5).

Raccoon crawled under the couch. He had all of his cookies stacked in a party napkin, neatly tied up with a blue bow, ready to give to his dear little friend.

"Let no man seek his own, but every man another's wealth"
(1Corinthians 10:24).

Teddy didn't forget to hide. He wanted the best place to surprise Jonas, so he did, very carefully, hide himself under the table.

"Take heed to thyself... lest thou forget"
(Deuteronomy 4:9).

Bunny hid behind the kitchen door. She had planned this moment carefully, using her brain power for Jonas' best good. He would be very surprised to see her hop out from behind the door.

"Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good"
(Romans 15:2).

Leopard pretended he was a lamp by putting the lampshade on his head. It was his unselfish opinion that Jonas would certainly like him to pretend to be a lamp under a lampshade.

"I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some"
(1Corinthians 9:22).



Raccoon giggled excitedly, the excitement becoming more than he could easily control.

"Hush!" whispered Leopard, adjusting his lampshade. "It's supposed to be a surprise."

"I know that," replied Raccoon, grinning from under the couch.

Just as Koala was about to go find an even better hiding spot than the broom closet
-- but then wisely deciding it was too late for that--

the living room door suddenly opened!

A young boy stepped into the room and gave a curious look around. "Where is everybody?" asked Jonas.

"SURPRISE!"
shouted Bunny,
jumping out from behind the kitchen door.


"SURPRISE!"
shouted Raccoon,
crawling out from under the couch.


"SURPRISE!"
shouted Leopard,
flinging off his lampshade.


"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"
shouted Teddy,
mixing up his details while getting up from under the table.


"Yes, HAPPY BIRTHDA-- No! no! no!"
corrected Bunny.
"Happy 'I Love You, Jesus' Day!"


"HAPPY 'I LOVE YOU, JESUS' DAY!"
exclaimed Leopard.
"Didn't know I wasn't really a lamp, did you?" asked Leopard,
showing Jonas how wisely he had hidden under a lampshade.

"Wow! Thank you, everyone. You are very dear friends. But-- I've never heard of 'I Love You, Jesus' Day," said Jonas.

"I have called you friends"
(John 15:15).

"Neither have I," said Teddy, the thought just now coming to him.

"That's because we made it up this very day," smiled Leopard.

"Every good gift... cometh down from the Father"
(James 1:17).

"Well, what is 'I Love You, Jesus' Day?" asked Jonas.

"Why, every single day is 'I Love You, Jesus' Day," explained Bunny, reasoning with great wisdom. "And what better day to celebrate the fact that we love Jesus, than today?"

"Exhort one another daily, while it is called To day"
(Hebrews 3:13).

"Every single day of our life should be 'I Love You, Jesus' Day," pointed out Raccoon, happily sharing cookies with Jonas.

"Love the LORD thy God with all thy heart"
(Luke 10:27).

"I love You, Jesus!" shouted Koala, jumping up and down excitedly with his claws clicking merrily on the floor.

"And I love You, Jesus!" shouted Teddy.

"Me too!" exclaimed Jonas. "I love You, Dear Jesus, with all of my heart." Jonas was thrilled with the idea. "Oh, Thank You, my Special Friend Jesus, for giving me these good buddies who love me and show me how to love like You!"

"And... he prayed for his friends"
(Job 42:10).




Then everyone gathered in a great BIG circle that went around the whole room,

and with hand joining in hand,
they all thanked God for sending
His Sweet Son, Jesus Christ,
Who had saved them all from doing bad things.

"Ye are My friends [friends of Jesus], if ye do whatsoever I command you"
(John 15:14).

After all, Jesus loved them first,
before they ever had loved Him.

"We love Him, because He first loved us"
(1John 4:19).

Each one prayed a love note to Jesus,
letting Him know how they felt.
They wanted to make Him as happy
as happy could be!

"That our joy may be full"
(2John 12).

With very full hearts of joy,
it was time to fill their tummys, too.
So, Leopard carried in a huge, yummy, pizza
and set it on the living room table.

Raccoon opened a really big bag of
"non-trash can" chocolate chip cookies,
while Bunny served the vanilla ice cream,
with a surprise-- a red cherry on top!

Everyone was so happy.

Jesus loved each one of them,
and they knew it!
And each one of them loved Jesus.

"Greater love hath no man than this,
that a man lay down his life for his friends"
(John 15:13).

What more could an animal, or a boy, ask for?




"And he was called the friend of God"
(James 2:23).



THE END




Related Topics:


How to Lead Your Child to Jesus ---New Window

Followed by, "Dear Little One," A Letter to Your Child

by Tom and Katie Stewart.

and


Suffer the Little Children to Come Unto Me ---New Window

Or, Of Such is the Kingdom of Heaven

by Katie Stewart




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