One Sunday morning, Fang Xin’s nephew, Ming Ming, came to her house to draw with her daughter, Ling Ling. Fang Xin kindly touched his head and asked, “Ming Ming, what do you want to draw today?” Ming Ming leaned towards Fang Xin and said, “Auntie, I want to draw mountains, rivers, trees, birds, the sun, clouds, land and people.” Hearing what Ming Ming said, Ling Ling happily clapped her hands and said: “Me too, let’s draw it together!”
As they talked, they moved on thinking how the drawing would be like. Ling Ling suddenly had an idea, said: “Mum, bring me a pencil, let me draw.” Less than 5 minutes, a simple drawing was finished. Ming Ming came forward to the drawing and looked at it attentively for a while. He said frowningly: “Auntie, A tiny stream seems to be missing.” As he said, he picked up the pencil and drew a tiny stream. Ling Ling hurriedly said: “It’s wrong, you shouldn’t draw the tiny stream by the road; you should draw it in the grassland.” Ming Ming started to argue back. He thought Ling Ling was wrong and the tiny stream shouldn’t be drawn in the grassland, but by the road … The children kept quarreled, and no one took a step back. At this time, Fang Xin suddenly recalled a paragraph of God’s words which mention about the tiny stream. She gently said: “Children, stop arguing. Let’s read God’s words, and see where the best place is to draw the tiny stream. OK?” Then Fang Xin took out God’s words, gently read to them: “Over the centuries, the tiny stream trickled gently around the foot of the mountain. By following the course the mountain had made, the tiny stream made it back to its home; it joined the river, and flowed into the sea. Under the mountain’s care, the tiny stream never became lost. The tiny stream and the great mountain relied on one another, they restrained one another, and depended on one another” (“God Himself, the Unique VII”). After finishing reading God’s words, Fang Xin asked: “Children, now do you know where to draw the tiny stream?” The Children said happily: “We are all wrong. The tiny stream should be drawn around the foot of the mountain.” Then her daughter drew the tiny stream quickly around the foot of the mountain. After that, the drawing looked better than before. Then, the three of them looked at the sense in the painting. Ming Ming cupped his chin in his hand and kept quite. Fang Xin asked warmly: “Ming Ming, is there anything you still do not understand?” Ming Ming said puzzled: “Why must the tiny stream be drawn around the foot of the mountain?” Fang Xin replied: “God has told us. The tiny stream is around the foot of the mountain, because under mountain’s care, the river never became lost. If without the mountain, the tiny stream will get lost. Because it had no direction, it will flow everywhere, as a result, it will cause more harm than good to us. Only with the mountain as reliance can the tiny stream join the river, and flow into the sea, and it will not become lost and bring harm to us.” As Ming Ming listened to the story, he forgot about the argument with Ling Ling. He kept asking about the relationship between the tiny stream and the mountain, and listened attentively. Ling Ling also listened in fascination. She said delightedly: “Mum, you are so smart! Today not only do we learn to draw, also we know the relationship of the mountain and the tiny stream.” Fang Xin smiled and said patiently: “I know this from God’s words. Though we didn’t know where to draw the tiny stream just now, God’s words give us the answer. God’s words also tell us many other mysteries, that the scientists, celebrities, and great people don’t know. In the future, I will tell all of you something more about belief in God. Gradually, you will understand more.” The children happily nodded their head.
Then, Ming Ming picked up a pencil and started to draw trees, the sun, people, and birds. After finishing drawing trees, the sun and people, without thinking, he drew a bird by the river. Ling Ling thought that was wrong, but Ming Ming insisted he was right. Seeing the children were going to argue again, Fang Xin said: “Come on, let’s read God’s words and see the interconnected relationships and interdependence of all things created by God, and then all of you will know where the suitable place to draw the bird is.” Fang Xin opened up God’s words and read: “A ray of sunlight shone down on the tree and the trunk shook. The tree reached out its branches wide and drew deeply from the light. The earth below breathed in rhythm with the tree, and the earth felt renewed, and just then, a fresh breeze blew among the branches, and the tree trembled in delight, bursting with energy. And thus, the tree and the sunlight depend on one another …
“People sat in the cool shade of the tree and they basked in the brisk, fragrant air. The air cleansed their hearts and lungs, and it cleansed the blood within. The people no longer felt weary or burdened. And thus, the people and the tree depend on one another …
“A flock of songbirds chirped as they alighted on the branches of the tree. Perhaps they were evading some foe, or they were breeding and raising their young, or maybe they were just taking a short rest. And thus, the birds and the tree depend on one another …” (“God Himself, the Unique VII”). After Fang Xin finished reading God’s words, she asked: “After listening to the story God tells us, do you know where to draw the bird? The bird should fly to the tree, because the tree is its house, and the bird can’t leave the tree. The Creator arranges the home for the bird, and makes the bird and the tree depend on one another.” Ming Ming clapped his hands and said happily: “When I played with my friends under the tree, we saw some birds on the tree, and there were also many bird nests. We also heard birds chirping.” Ling Ling asked Fang Xin in surprise: “Mom, God’s word is so amazing. You can even find the answers to this type of questions. Our textbook does not tell us these things. The book of God’s words is truly an amazing book!”
As Fang Xin told the children about God’s amazing creation, the children finished their drawing. Then they finished up the coloring with different kinds of pencils. Placing a complete drawing on the table, they all enjoyed it happily. Ming Ming smiled and said: “Auntie, this drawing is so beautiful. You see how happy the people in the drawing living in this environment!” Ling Ling clasped her hands together, looked up to the sky, and loudly praised: “God is so almighty that He creates all these harmonious and wonderful things, and makes us live among them. We are so blessed!” Fang Xin nodded happily. Ming Ming held Ling Ling’s hand happily while jumping, and said: “Ling Ling, next Sunday I still want to come and listen to God’s story.” Ling Ling agreed happily, smiling and jumping with Ming Ming.
Seeing the children are able to learn something from the drawing as they listen to the story, Fang Xin praised God for His guidance from her bottom of heart. Then she said: “Children, let’s read another paragraph of God’s words, and see how God protects our homeland so that we can have an amazing environment to live in.” The children agreed happily. Sitting on the couch, Fang Xin flipped open God’s words, and read: “Do all the examples that exist in this image come from God? (Yes.) As they come from God, God knows the value and significance of these several examples existing together on the earth. When God created all things, He had a plan for each item, and each thing He created shows His intentions and He imbues life in them. He created the living environment for mankind, which is discussed in the story we just heard. It discussed the interdependence the seed and the earth have; the earth nourishes the seed and the seed is bound to the earth. The relationship between these two was predetermined by God from the very beginning, right? (Yes.) The tree, the sunlight, the songbirds, and man in this image, are they an example of the living environment that God created for mankind? (Yes.) First, can the tree leave the earth? (No.) Can the tree be without sunlight? (No.) Then what was God’s purpose for creating the tree, can we say that it was just for the earth? Can we say that it was just for the songbirds? Can we say that it was just for the people? (No.) What is the relationship between them? The relationship between them is one of interdependence wherein they cannot be separated. The earth, the tree, the sunlight, the songbirds, and the people rely on one another for existence and they nurture one another. The tree protects the earth while the earth nurtures the tree; the sunlight provides for the tree, while the tree creates fresh air from the sunlight and helps soothe the earth from the heat of the sunlight. Who benefits from this in the end? Mankind benefits from this, right? (Yes.) And this is one of the principles behind why God made the living environment for mankind and one of the primary purposes for it. Even though this is a simple picture, we can see God’s wisdom and His intentions. Mankind cannot live without the earth, or without trees, or without the songbirds and sunlight, right? Even though it was a story, it is a microcosm of God’s creation of the universe and His bestowal of the living environment upon man.
“God created the heavens and earth and all things for mankind and He created the living environment as well. First, the main point we discussed in the story is the interconnected relationships and interdependence of all things. Under this principle, the living environment for mankind is protected, it survives and continues; because of the existence of this living environment, mankind can thrive and reproduce” (“God Himself, the Unique VII”).
After reading God’s words, Fang Xin said to them: “Children, all of God’s creation contains God’s love and care towards us, like mountain, tiny stream, trees, birds, sunlight, land and so on. All of these are God’s meticulous arrangements. For example, a seed needs to grow on soil, and it needs sunlight to grow into a big tree. At the same time, big trees protect the soil from being washed away by rain; on the other hand, big trees provide shelter for birds and humans. We live under the trees, breathe in fresh air, and feel relaxed. All of these are all prepared for our survival by God so that mankind and all things can depend on one another. We can’t leave any of them, or we will be in danger, because God’s creation provides protection to us. They are all for us to live safely. All things are from God’s intelligence and arrangement, so we should praise and follow God. We can’t disappoint God’s earnest intentions, but cherish and protect the environment, and all things that God creates. Now people mine on mountain, cut down trees in order to make more money. They have destroyed God’s creation. In the end what they have done will bring great disasters to humans. Therefore, in the future, we should do according to God’s words, cherishing and protecting God’s creation, shall we?” “Yes!” The children said in unison …
