The verse anchor
“Praise the LORD from the earth, ye dragons, and all deeps: fire, and hail, snow, and vapour; stormy wind fulfilling his word: mountains, and all hills; fruitful trees, and all cedars: beasts, and all cattle; creeping things, and flying fowl.”
Psalm 148:7-10 · King James Bible
The story
In a village in Italy long ago lived a young man named Francis. When he was young, he wore fine clothes and had many friends and threw parties. But one day Francis met Jesus, and he gave everything away — the fine clothes, the money, everything — and put on a plain brown robe tied with a rope, and went out to serve the poor.
Francis loved everything God had made. He would talk to the sparrows on his shoulder and tell them how much God loved them. The birds would sit still and listen, cocking their little heads.
One town had a wolf that was hurting the sheep and scaring the villagers. Everyone was afraid. Francis walked out toward the wolf, and the wolf came running with its teeth bared — but Francis lifted his hand and said, "Brother Wolf, in the name of Jesus, be gentle." And the wolf lay down like a big dog at his feet.
Francis wrote a song. He called it the Canticle of the Sun. In it, he called the sun his brother, and the moon his sister, and the wind, and the water, and even death, all his brothers and sisters — because God had made them all, and God is the Father of all.
Francis died a very old, very poor, very joyful man. His last words were about singing. He had spent his whole life teaching the world that all creation, when it praises God, sounds like one enormous choir.
Memory verse
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above.”
James 1:17 · KJV
Say it three times before bed. In seven days you will know it forever.
A prayer
Father, You made everything, and everything is Your gift.
Help me to see You in the birds and the sky and the flowers today.
Amen.