A gift to the king

A Gift To The King
Pg.1 Once upon a time, I took a gift to the king. I wrapped my gift carefully in paper. Then I placed the gift in a tiny dirty box. It was the only one I owned. Very carefully I closed the lid on the box. This was the most precious thing I owned.
Pg.2 ‘I have no beautiful wrapping paper. I hope the king likes my gift,’ I said to myself. Soon I joined the rest of the people in my village. We were all gathering at the king’s gate to go and see the king.
Pg.3 Slowly the gates began to open. I held my breath. I was so excited, and so nervous at the same time.
Pg.4 All the people of the village and I filed into the king’s courtyard. I looked around at the others around me with their gifts. Almost every gift was beautifully wrapped, except mine.
Pg.5 One by one, the guards called each person to come forward to present their gift to the king.
Pg.6 At last my turn came. As I walked toward the king, a guard stopped me. Was he going to throw me out because my gift was not wrapped as beautifully as the others?
Pg.7 No. The Prince then stepped down from his throne beside the king. I watched nervously as he walked toward me. I was not sure what to expect.
Pg.8 The Prince reached out his hand to me. Allow me; his eyes seemed to say to me. His eyes made me feel welcome. They were filled with kindness.
Pg.9 All fear seemed to melt in the presence of the Prince. The Prince held out his hand to me to place the gift there. I placed my dirty little gift box into the pure, clean hands of the Prince.
Pg.10 My eyes fell toward the floor. I was too ashamed to look. What would the king say about my gift? Would he laugh? Would he just throw it aside?
Pg.11 A moment seemed like an eternity as I listened to the footsteps of the Prince, taking my gift to the king.
Pg.12 Then I heard the Prince’s footsteps stop. I heard the funny creaking sound as the Prince opened my dirty gift box to give to the king. Then I heard the paper as the Prince unwrapped my most precious possession. I was too afraid to look up.
Pg. 13 I expected to hear laughter, but instead I heard the crowd gasp. What could be going on? I looked up, surprised at what I saw.
A Gift To The King pg 2
Pg. 14 The Prince held my tiny gift in His Majestic hand. He held my gift extended toward the king. And my gift was glowing as if it were pure gold!
Pg. 15 I could barely believe my eyes. Why, it was the most beautiful sight I’d ever seen.
Pg. 16 ‘Father, this little one has humbly offered his most precious gift – his life,’ the Prince said. As the Prince spoke, I fell on my face before the king.
Pg.17 ‘Arise, my child and come to Me,’ the king said. Slowly my knees regained their strength. I walked up the steps to the king.
Pg.18 The king held my hands. ‘Do you see all these gifts here today? People bring Me many things. But usually the things they offer Me are their leftovers-things of very little value to them. Very few give Me their lives. You have given what you valued the most. Do you know this is the most beautiful gift I’ve had all day?’ ‘What made it glow like that?’ I asked the king. I was completely puzzled. ‘It was old and dirty when I put it in the box to give to you,’ I told the king.
Pg.19 ‘My Son makes all things new,’ the king said. ‘A life of sin given to Me is restored and made into a thing of beauty,’ the king said. ‘It can only be done through My Son, Jesus.’
Pg. 20 As I went home that day, I knew I was different because I had given my King my best, my all!