It was a bright Sunday morning, and Little EcoSprout, whose real name is Eli, woke up to the sound of birds singing outside his window. He stretched and peeked out to see the dew sparkling on the garden leaves. Today was the day he had planned to meet his friend Sam by the big fig tree.
Eli quickly put on his straw hat and ran outside with a Bible tucked under his arm. When he got to the fig tree, Sam was already there, trying to build a little fort out of twigs and stones.
“Hi, Eli!” Sam called, waving. “I’ve been waiting! Can you tell me one of your Bible stories today?”
Eli smiled brightly and sat down next to Sam. He opened his Bible and turned a few pages carefully. “Today I want to tell you a story about someone very unexpected — a donkey!”
Sam’s eyes went wide. “A donkey? Really?”
Eli nodded. “Yes! This story is from Numbers 22. There was a man named Balaam who was going on a journey. God didn’t really want him to go, but Balaam was stubborn and went anyway. While he was riding his donkey, an angel of the Lord stood in the road with a sword. But guess what?”
Sam leaned in so close his nose almost touched Eli’s Bible. “What?”
“The donkey saw the angel, but Balaam couldn’t see it at all!” Eli said, his voice full of excitement. “The donkey turned off the path to keep Balaam safe. Balaam didn’t understand and hit the donkey. It happened three times! Finally, God made the donkey speak. She asked Balaam, ‘What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?’”
Sam gasped and dropped a stick. “The donkey talked? That’s amazing!”
Eli nodded eagerly. “Yes! Then God opened Balaam’s eyes, and he finally saw the angel. The angel told him the donkey had saved his life. If she hadn’t turned away, Balaam would have been killed!”
Sam sat very still, thinking hard. “Wow… the donkey was really brave. She listened to God even when Balaam was mean to her.”
Eli placed a gentle hand on Sam’s shoulder. “That’s right. Sometimes God speaks to us in ways we don’t expect — through a friend, a small voice inside, or even an animal. We have to be humble and listen.”
Sam picked up a twig and drew a little donkey in the dirt. “I want to listen to God like that donkey,” he said softly.
Eli smiled and looked up at the bright blue sky. “Me too,” he said. “I want my heart and eyes open so I can follow God’s way, even if others don’t understand.”
Just then, a butterfly fluttered by and landed on Sam’s twig drawing. The boys laughed, and Eli felt a warmth in his heart — like God was right there with them under the fig tree.
Later that afternoon, Eli and Sam shared the story with their Sunday school class. Their teacher reminded them of John 10:27:
“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.”
Eli felt proud of Sam for wanting to listen to God, and he felt even more excited to keep learning and sharing stories from the Bible.
Reflection for Young Readers
- Have you ever felt God speaking to you in a quiet or surprising way?
- How can you keep your heart and ears open to hear Him, just like the donkey did?
- Can you share a Bible story with a friend this week, like Eli shared with Sam?
Become an EcoSprout!
Do you feel inspired to listen to God and care for His creation like Little EcoSprout? You can join our EcoSprouts community!
EcoSprouts is a special program where young nature stewards learn about protecting the earth through fun activities, cleanups, gardening, and faith-based lessons. Together, we grow strong in our love for God and His beautiful world.
✨ Learn more and become an EcoSprout today: https://ecoservantsproject.org/ecosprouts