This story is about a six year old, boy,

named Sammy. He wants to know why

about everything that is going on.

It is Easter and daddy and mommy

want to teach him something

important about giving.

Have you ever looked for something hidden?

It was the day before Easter and Sarah and Dave

had spent the evening hiding easter eggs all over

the downstairs of their house.

In the morning Sammy came running down stairs

to see a basket sitting on the floor. Green grass was

falling out the basket but there was nothing

else in it.

Sammy ran back upstairs to wake up mommy and daddy.

“Mommy, daddy, why is there an empty basket downstairs.

What happen to the eggs?”

Daddy and mommy put on their robes and went downstairs to

find the basket in the middle of the living room just like Sammy said.

Inside the basket was a little note that said: Find what is hidden with

delight. And then give back to me what is right.

Sammy started looking for his treasures in the living room.

In the book case near the front door were two colored eggs.

Sammy took hold of the eggs with excitement and showed his

mommy and daddy.

Daddy said, “Put those eggs in the basket for later.”

Sammy became excited about the hidden treasures.

Under the front of the couch cushion where two more eggs.

This time they were plastic. “Yeah!” Sammy giggled,

“whats inside of it, daddy?”

Daddy opened them up and inside were three jelly beans,

and three chocolate kisses with almonds in them.

“Yum.” Sammy said.

Sammy went to look for more eggs.

Inside the fish tank was another plastic egg.

“Daddy, look!” Sammy said.

Daddy laughed, “I’ll get that one buddy.”

Daddy stuck his hand into the tank and carefully pulled the plastic

egg out. When he opened it there was a quarter inside a plastic

baggy.

Sammy smiled.

Sammy went to look under the couch and he didn’t find anything.

He went and looked behind the television; there he found two more eggs,

one colored and one plastic.

Daddy said, “OK, what do you do with the colored egg?”

And what do you do with the plastic egg?”

Sammy put the cooked egg into the basket and opened up the

plastic egg by himself this time. Inside the egg were new shoe

laces for his shoes. They were bright, and colored a lot like his eggs.

He shoved them into his pocket and continued to look.

In the dining room he saw an egg on his favorite chair,

a shining purple plastic one. Inside of this one was a small

bag with three big silver steelies inside. Sammy put them into

his pocket and kept on with his treasure hunt.

Mommy brought in some orange juice and some coffee for daddy.

Sammy went under the dinner table and saw two more plastic eggs

and one colored one.

Sammy put the colored one into the basket and him and daddy opened

up the two plastic eggs. Inside Sammy’s was a brand new one dollar bill.

Inside daddy’s was another quarter. “Here you go, Sammy.”

Sammy went into the kitchen and there in the kitchen where mommy‘s

pots and pans go were two more eggs. Inside one plastic egg was another

quarter and in the other was a another dollar bill.

Sammy stood in the middle of the room and just looked around.

To his delight he saw another plastic egg sitting on the window sill.

He ran over to get this one, and opened it; inside was another quarter.

He smiled and put it into his pocket.

Sammy kept looking all over for the rest of the eggs.

He found six more of them and put them into the basket.

And four more plastic eggs with different amounts of money in them.

“There is still one more egg to find.” daddy said.

“Why?” Sammy said.

“This egg in the most special one.” daddy said.

“Why?”

“Because, Sammy, inside this egg is Jesus.” daddy said.

Sammy looked all over the living room and all over the dining

room and kitchen until he was to tired to look anymore.

“I can’t find the special egg, daddy.” Sammy said with a sad face.

Mommy and daddy sat with him on the floor.

Daddy said, “Sammy, the plastic egg is about the same size

as your heart and my heart and mommy’s heart?”

“Inside of our hearts we have Jesus. You can always find him.”

“What did God give you in your plastic eggs?” daddy asked Sammy.

Chocolate kisses, marbles, quarters, two dollars and shoelaces.

“Which one will you give back to God?”

Sammy took his bag of marbles out of his pocket and said,

“maybe God want to play marbles.”

Daddy laughed….”No, son, God doesn’t want your marbles.

He gave them to you as a gift. God only want his part of what

he gave you. He wants a tenth.”

Sammy reached into his pocket again and pulled out his

shoelaces. “Maybe God wants new shoelaces like me!”

“No, “ said daddy, “God gave those to you.”

Sammy reached into his pocket again and pulled out his

quarters and his dollars and gave them back to his daddy.

“How much is a tenth, daddy?”

“Ok, a tenth of $4.oo is forty cents.”

Daddy helped Sammy count out forty cents.

Then he gave the rest back to Sammy.

Sammy’s smile grew bigger.

Daddy said, “You see, Sammy, God provides for you and us in many

different ways. In return he wants only a small part of what he has given

to us. It is called a tithe. And it belongs to God in heaven.

The rest he is giving to you. Now, Sammy, what do you think we

should do with the colored eggs that you found and put into the basket?”

“Can we eat them?” Sammy said, “I’m hungry!”

Daddy said, “Inside your purple egg was something special.

Do you remember?”

“Marbles,” said Sammy, “three of them.”

“What about your shoelaces?” Do you like them?”

“Yeah.”

Daddy said, “And the chocolate kisses?”

“Yeah.”

“God knows exactly what you like. He wouldn’t give

you a gift that you didn’t like. God wants you to use the gifts

that he gave you. So what are you going to do with the shoe laces?”

“Put them in my shoes, daddy.” Sammy said.

“And what about the marbles?” daddy said.

“Play with them in my room or outside.” Sammy said.

“What about the money, Sammy?”

‘What do you think you should do with the money

God gave you?”

“I want to spend it on ice cream!” said Sammy.

Daddy smiled, “ok, after dinner we can go out for ice cream.”

“Did you have fun this morning looking for eggs?”

“Yeah, daddy, can we do this again tomorrow?”

He who has an ear to hear, let him hear that the Spirit says to the churches.

To him who over comes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also

give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him

who receives it.