Just Take It

"Gotcha!" Eli shouted as he took another of Adrian's game pieces off the board. Adrian groaned, then gave Eli a playful shove. "Adrian," said Eli's mom as she came into the room, "you're welcome to stay for dinner if you'd like. I'm making roast chicken and biscuits.""Really? Thanks!" said Adrian. "I love your cooking!""Call your mom and make sure it's okay," said Eli's mom. "Tell her we'll drop you off on our way to church--or you can come to church with us.""Okay," said Adrian. After Eli's mom left, Adrian turned to Eli. "You sure have to work hard to be Christians, don't you?""What do you mean?" asked Eli."You go to church all the time," replied Adrian. "And you can't do certain things.""But that's not what makes us Christians," said Eli. "Trusting that Jesus died and rose again to save us is the only thing that counts." Adrian just shrugged.When Eli's mom called them into the kitchen, Adrian's mouth watered at the smell of the chicken and biscuits. "Is there anything I can do?" he asked. "Do you need help setting the table?""Nope," said Eli's mom. "Everything's already done." She picked up a steaming dish. "All you need to do is eat!"They sat down and Eli's mom said a prayer, then she passed the chicken to Adrian. "This looks delicious!" he said as he stuck his fork into a leg. He bit into it and closed his eyes. "Wow. I could never cook like this!" Eli's mom smiled. "Adrian, I overheard you say that being a Christian seems like a lot of work, but it's Jesus who did all the work. We go to church and trust God to help us do what's right because Jesus has saved us and we love Him, not to become Christians. Salvation--being saved from sin and having eternal life--is a gift from God." She passed the bowl of biscuits to Adrian. "It's just like this meal I made. You don't need to work for it. Just take it."A smile spread across Adrian's face. "I think I will." He bit into a biscuit and chewed it thoughtfully. "Can I come to church with you tonight? I want to hear more about this gift from God." –Esther M. Bailey