The last passenger had gotten off the airplane. The stewardesses and the rest of the crew had left, all except for the pilot. He had just finished writing the details of the trip in his log book and was walking down the aisle of the empty aircraft. Empty? Not quite. He noticed the arm of a doll wedged down between two of the seats. It had been overlooked by the little owner when she left, and the stewardesses had not seen it when they checked the plane. The pilot pulled it out and looked it over. It looked well used and well loved.
The pilot knew all about little girls and their favorite dolls. He knew that this rag doll would be greatly missed by the little girl who owned it. Writing down the seat number, he decided to see if the small owner of the doll could be found.
Using the computer information about who was assigned to the seats where the doll was found, the owner was finally located and notified. With the help of some kind people thousands of miles apart on the United Airlines flight system, the doll was returned to its young owner.
The little girl’s mother wrote to thank the pilot. She wrote, “Karen has other little dolls much prettier. But this little rag doll is the only one close to her heart. I cannot tell you how much your returning it means to her, and to us.”
As you think of this story, doesn’t it make you like the pilot and the other kind people who helped return the doll? They went out of their way to make a little girl happy.
Now let me tell you the best story ever told. The Lord Jesus Christ, who made heaven, earth and the sea and everything that is in them, loves boys and girls. He wants to make every one of them happy and has done everything that can be done. He saw that we were sinful (lost), and He came “to seek and to save that which was lost.” Luke 19:1010For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. (Luke 19:10). He knew that we could not do anything to get rid of our sins, so He died on the cross that we could be saved. “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because He laid down His life for us.” 1 John 3:1616Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. (1 John 3:16).
The Lord Jesus came into the world specially to save sinners. Everyone has sinned and needs a Saviour, so Jesus died for the sins of any who will believe in Him. As you think of all that the Lord Jesus has done for you to make you happy, doesn’t it make you want to love Him? If you believe that He died for you and that His blood has washed all your sins away, then you are saved, and He is preparing a special place for you in heaven. He has saved you; He will keep you, guide you and use you to help others. Very soon He will take you higher than any airplane can take you—right to heaven to be with Him forever.
ML-11/14/1982