YOU ARE GOOD SEEDS

Some kids grow up in poor countries. They don't have houses or enough food. Other kids grow up here, but still don't have money or nice things. And some kids have lots of things, but their families don't teach them about God, so they don't get close to Jesus.

If you're reading this, you have a chance that some kids don't -- the chance to learn about God. In this week's Gospel (Matthew 13:1-9), Jesus talks about that.

Just like some kids don't have all the things they need, Jesus said, people are like seeds planted in different kinds of ground:

* The seeds that fell on the path are like people who didn't really have the chance to learn about God;

* The seeds on rocky ground are people who were taught a little, but not enough to have much faith; and

* The seeds in weeds are people who learned about God, but got distracted by other things and stopped believing in Him.

But the seeds in good ground are like you: They got the chance to live in a good place where they could grow and be healthy, just like you're getting the chance to live in a nice country, have food to eat and a home to live in, and to learn about God.

Jesus wanted us to remember how much we have to be thankful for -- especially the chance to learn about Him and get close to Him. Your roots, He said, are in good ground!