Leaves of Change

"I'm going to run and jump into the leaves, Daddy. Are you watching?" Meliah asked.Dad held the rake and smiled at his daughter. "Sure, honey. Go ahead."Meliah grinned as she started running. When she landed in the pile of leaves, she laughed. "This is lots of fun! I like fall."Dad raked the leaf pile back together. "I like fall too, though I wish it was warmer. I don't like the changing temperature."Meliah put her foot into the pile of leaves. "Everything changes," she said with a frown. "Mommy went to live in an apartment. Grandma came to live here. It's getting cold. I got a new teacher because my other teacher had a baby."Dad set down the rake and stood beside Meliah. "I'm sorry that Mommy moved to the apartment. You can still see her whenever you want if you ask me to drive you. And Grandma wasn't doing well living by herself. Weren't you excited about her coming to live with us? You always loved having her visit."Meliah shrugged. "Yeah, but it's not the same. Nothing is the same.""Well, there's one thing that never changes," Dad said."Never?" Meliah asked."Never. Jesus never changes. There's a verse in the Bible that says He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He will be with you no matter where you go, and He will stay with you no matter how many things change. He loves you, and because you trust Him as your Savior, He will always be with you."Meliah was quiet. "I haven't been going to church," she admitted. "Mom and I watch TV shows instead.""Jesus still loves you, no matter if you go to church or pray or read your Bible. He doesn't change. If you want to grow in your relationship with Him and understand more about Him, then going to church and reading your Bible are great ways to do that. And the more verses you learn, the more you can remember when you need them.""Can we read that verse about Jesus never changing after dinner?" Meliah asked."That sounds like a great idea," Dad agreed. "Now, these piles of leaves need to be jumped into!"-Kimberly Brokish