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"Debbie," Mother called. "Put on your pink dress today. I want to wash that blue one."

"Oh, Mom," Debbie wailed. "I don't like that old pink dress."

"It isn't old, Debbie. It looks nice on you," Mother said. "Hurry now, children. Breakfast is ready."

When Randy and Debbie came to the table, there was a big frown on Randy's face. "I'm tired of school," he complained. "Do I have to go today?"

"Of course you do," Father said. "Don't fuss now, or you will be late."

But all during breakfast the children did fuss. First, Debbie pouted because she had to drink her milk. Then Randy grumbled because they were out of his favorite cereal and he had to eat corn flakes.

On the way to school Randy saw some of his friends ride by on their bikes. "Everyone has a bike but me," Randy muttered, feeling sorry for himself.

"I don't," said Debbie. "And my legs get tired when I walk to school. Maybe if we fuss about it when we get home, Mom and Dad will get us bikes."

"Maybe they will," Randy agreed. "Let's try it when we go home."

That afternoon the children hurried home from school. "Mom," Debbie whined. "My legs are tired from walking. I want a bike to ride to school."

"Me too," Randy said. "All the other boys have bikes. I don't see why I can't have one too."

Mother brushed the hair from her eyes. She looked tired. "We cannot get bikes for you yet, children. And I am sorry to hear you complaining again. You have much to be thankful for. The Bible says in Psalm 103:2, 'Bless the Lord, Oh my soul, and forget not all His benefits.' That means we should remember all the good things God has given us and thank Him for them."

A little later Mother called the children to her. She gave Randy a paper sack of warm doughnuts and handed Debbie a puzzle book. "Take these to our new neighbors down the street," Mother told them. "Give Mrs. Miller the doughnuts and tell her the book is for Bobby."

"But we don't know those people yet," Randy said.

"Never mind. You will soon get to know Bobby," Mother said, hurrying them out the door.

At the Miller's house, Mrs. Miller took them into Bobby's room. Randy and Debbie were surprised to see Bobby sitting in a wheelchair. He gave them a wide grin as he thanked them for the puzzle book. "Your mother was here this morning," he said. "She told me your names and she said we were in the same grade, Randy. Only I do my lessons at home."

"Can't you get out of that chair?" Debbie asked, feeling sorry.

"Sure, if someone helps me," Bobby answered. "But I'll be able to walk by myself soon. The doctor said so."

"How long have you been sick?" asked Randy.

"I got hurt in a car accident about a year ago," Bobby told them. "At first, I grumbled a lot. Then my daddy got sick. And do you know what he said before he went to the hospital?"

"What?" the children asked.

"My daddy told me the best way I could help Mother, while he was gone, was to be happy and not grumble. He said that when I fussed about sitting in this chair, it was the same as being angry at God and complaining against Him. So I'm trying not to grumble. Sometimes I forget though. Then I ask Jesus to forgive me and help me not to do it again."

"Ooooh," Debbie said. "I grumbled a lot today. But I'm sorry now."

"I'm sorry I grumbled too," Randy said. "Good-bye, Bobby. We will come and see you tomorrow."

Randy and Debbie ran all the way home. They ate their supper without fussing. "Thank you for the good supper, Mother," Randy said.

Debbie put her arms around her father's neck. "I'm glad you are not in the hospital, Daddy. Thank you for all my clothes and food and toys and…and…"

Father and Mother laughed. "I see your visit to Bobby has been good for you," Mother said. "I hope your 'grumbling day' is over."

"It is," Randy said. "Because Bobby told us that when we fuss about our food and things like that, it is just as if we were complaining against God."

"That is true," Father said. "Do you remember the Bible story of Moses leading the children of Israel through the wilderness? Well, one time the people were hungry and they began to murmur against Moses and Aaron. Moses said, 'Your murmurings are not against us, but against the Lord.'

"You see, children, everything we have comes from God. He causes our food to grow. He gives me strength to work at my job so I can buy the things we need. And God tells us in the Bible to be happy with the things that we have. So when we grumble and are unhappy, we displease the Lord and make His heart sad."

"I won't fuss about a bike any more," Randy said. "I'm glad I am well and can walk to school. I hope Bobby will soon be able to go with us."

"I'm thankful for my Bible," said Debbie. "And I am glad that Jesus is my Savior and I can pray to Him."

Mother smiled. "I have thought of a good verse to learn tonight. It is in Psalm 92:1. 'It is a good thing to give thanks to the Lord.'"

"I know what that means," Randy said. "I feel good now, but I didn't feel good when I was grumbling. I don't want to ever have another 'grumble day.'"

"Let's not," Debbie said. "It's more fun being thankful."

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Do you remember what we learned in the last lesson?

Hold out your hand. Beginning with the thumb, go to each finger and say out loud:

Now close all your fingers except your thumb and your first finger. Let your first finger point up. This finger points to God. But look at that thumb! It is pointing AWAY from God. This reminds us that we have turned away from God. We have said wrong things. We have done wrong things. I have sinned. You have sinned. All of us have sinned.

The Bible says, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23)

Now let us add this Bible verse to Number 1. Point to your thumb and say, 1. I HAVE SINNED. The Bible says, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23)

This is what the thumb tells us. Say it until you know it by heart.

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