The Praising Stone

Esther was a stone who liked to sing praises to God or so she thought; but she really couldn’t sing. In fact she sounded like a croaking frog or a screeching raven! It didn’t stop her though. She praised in the morning; she praised at lunchtime; she praised in the afternoon; she praised in the evening and she praised at bedtime. Her family did not like it.

“You need to give it a rest daughter” complained father.

“You’re giving me a headache,” scolded mother.

“You can’t even sing,” mumbled baby brother through his dummy.

Esther knew she wasn’t the greatest singer in the world but nothing could stop her. She had a friend who also liked to sing. His name was Joab and he was worse than her but together they screeched with all their hearts.

One day the family were by the walls of Jerusalem and there were lots of people running along the road. Everyone was cheering and clapping and singing ‘Blessed is the king that comes in the name of the Lord’ they said.

A man on a donkey came riding along towards the stones. Suddenly he stopped as some men began to shout at him.

"Tell your friends to stop praising you!"

The man looked at them and then pointed towards the stones.

"If my friends do not praise me then these stones will cry out!" he answered.

Esther's heart jumped for joy. She knew who the man was. He was Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God. At once she began to praise him and then Joab joined in.

The rest of the family were amazed. 

"Stones CAN praise God!" said father with delight.

"My daughter praising the Messiah, I can't believe it!" sighed mother.

"Are you famous now?" asked baby brother as he finally shot his dummy out of his mouth.

"No I don't think so," laughed Esther, "but Joab and I will never stop praising God now!"

And they never did.

(Based on the story from Luke 19:29-40)