Not sure how to start writing? In this example, we have answered all the questions in the Good News story kit from 1 to 23. Read through this to get ideas and see how you can develop your own story!
1. Once upon a time, there lived a beautiful, yellow canary named Sunshine. She had been born in a large room full of birds of different kinds, and she loved flying and singing. Sometimes she flew with her mother or father, and sometimes she flew by herself. She usually ate seeds, but sometimes a woman brought berries, and all the birds loved those berries.
2. One day, when the woman brought berries, Sunshine flew to the red kind, her favorite. At the same time, a finch named Rainbow flew there too. Sunshine did not know what to do, but suddenly, Rainbow cawed angrily and rushed at Sunshine. She flew away and did not get to eat any berries.
3. The next day, when the woman brought berries, Sunshine was ready. She flew to them quickly, and when Rainbow came, she puffed out her feathers and flew at him hard with her claws reaching for him. Rainbow became very scared, and as he tried to fly away, Sunshine’s claws caught some of his tail feathers, and they came off!
4. Sunshine felt so sad, she could not eat the berries that day either. She knew that Rainbow would have a hard time flying without his tail feathers. She did not understand why she had kept flying at him even when he flew away. Finally, she decided to ask her grandfather. He was a great singer and well-known in the whole room as a wise bird.
5. “Grandfather, why do we fight over food?” Sunshine asked him in a confused voice. “Why do we fight at all? I don’t understand.” Her grandfather tilted his head to one side and sighed. “To answer your question, I have to tell you about the first birds. Long, long ago, God designed a paradise for us, but we disobeyed God who is love. We turned away. That’s why, every single day, others harm us and we harm others even when we try really hard to do what is right.”
6. Scripture Page: Now the serpent was more subtle than any other wild creature that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree of the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden; but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband, and he ate. Genesis 3:1-6
7. Sunshine felt restless. She flew in a swift circle, landed near Grandfather, and then flew in another circle. When she had landed again, she asked, “But why can’t we fix this somehow? I don’t want to harm the other birds even when I’m trying hard not to.”
8. Grandfather bowed his head and sang a soft whisper song. He often sang whisper songs, but for the first time, Sunshine realized he was singing to someone that Sunshine could not see. Grandfather cocked his head to one side and peered at Sunshine with his right eye. “We feel full of life and song and flight, but look around. We’re really just little birds. Look beyond the window. See how great the sky is! And remember how we often see large birds flying past, and we do not know where they are going. You see, Sunshine, we need God, our Creator. We cannot save ourselves because we do not have the power to do that, but God can save us.”
9. Sunshine flew to the windowsill and gazed at the great sky beyond. She had never really thought about it except as something that was always there. She flew back to Grandfather. “But if I cannot do it, then what can I do? I mean…” She became confused. Grandfather nodded kindly. “That’s right, you cannot, but God can.”
10. “What do you mean?” Sunshine asked.
11. Grandfather flexed his right wing and then his left before shaking out all his feathers. He felt better when he did that. “God is real and just and true. Whenever we hurt others, it’s very terrible to God who loves all of us. Just like birds who steal or do violent things have to get shunned by others, something must happen to each of us for all the unloving things that we do. God has to punish us because He does not lie and must do what is right, but instead of punishing each of us, He sent His son to take our punishment. When He did that, He also showed us what love is.”
12. Scripture: But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:4-10
13. Sunshine loved Grandfather with all her heart, and she really wanted to believe him. And yet… the other canaries and finches were different. They didn’t chirp about and sing these kinds of songs. They were all busy eating and nesting. Life was good! And Sunshine had never seen any of them ask grandfather about God. She cocked her head right to left, left to right as she tried to think of what exactly was bothering her. Finally, she said, “Ok, but why is it all so … sad? How can God be love if the truth is all this sad stuff?”
14. Grandfather flew a circle around Sunshine, and Sunshine felt an amazing warmth drift into his feathers. “When Satan,” Grandfather began, “whose name means ‘enemy,’ when he caused the first animals to disobey God, God chose to make his creations strong and even more wonderful. But to become the amazingly strong children of God, He allows us to see how evil works in this world and bear it and put our faith in Him. Then, in eternity, we will be children of God and stay with Him always.
15. Sunshine flew to the windowsill, but rushed swiftly away as swooping shadows of large birds flew past. She felt a terrible dread in her bones, though the birds that had flown by were not hawks, the bitter enemy of all small birds. Settling and letting the fear disperse, she wondered about the enemy of God who is love. All birds instinctively knew about enemies, but many birds pretended they were not real. They would fly from passing shadows, but later chirp happy songs about the clouds and about how all birds return to the clouds when they die. And so she asked Grandfather, “What about the birds who love the clouds? And the birds who love Song, the creator of music? They are not wrong…are they?”
16. Grandfather flew about the room slowly, exercising his wings, and landed near Sunshine. “Some birds bathe until they are too wet to move. Could they be wrong? Other birds eat only one kind of seed and become sick. Could they be wrong? It is nice to wish for others to have good ideas, but sadly, Sunshine, many birds do not.” “But I kind of like the clouds,” Sunshine put in. “You can love them, and there’s nothing bad or scary–there’s no enemy. And Song is music! No enemy, no problem, no worries…” “Until the next set of large birds fly by,” Grandfather said wryly. “Sunshine, you will die, and you will be killed by something. You have an enemy. Only someone who loves you will tell you the truth.”
17. “But ten of the finches believe in the clouds,” Sunshine persisted, “and I think seven or eight canaries believe in Song. Are they ALL wrong?” Grandfather shook his head gladly as if inspired by a melody. “You remind me of a wonderful mystery. It is that every generation has the same problem. When God sent His son, Jesus, to be our savior, everyone believed all kinds of different things. Few believed in Him while He was here. The same is true every time new sets of eggs hatch. We are always born into a world where many birds believe other things. We all change AS we live! And remember, God is love. Are you so sure you would rather have clouds or Song … without knowing love?”
18. Scripture: So that the genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold which though perishable is tested by fire, may redound to praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 1:7
19. Sunshine felt invigorated and confused all at once. She darted to the feeders. She darted to the water bowls. She darted to the windowsill. She darted to the hutch. She flew into the middle of the room, up, up up! At last, she landed by Grandfather once more. “Wow, there’s so much I do not understand. What do I do?” Grandfather preened the back of Sunshine’s head. “You need to get informed. Start by reading the Gospel of John and from there read all of the New Testament. After that, you can start on the Old Testament. The Bible has helped thousands of birds for 2,000 years! It is good that we live in a time when birds can read it and sing about it together.”
20. “Uh-oh,” Sunshine said. “I’m more of a math girl. I don’t know if I can read that much.” “That’s ok,” Grandfather assured her. “I can read to you, and your parents can too. And you’ll find out that the Bible is so wonderful, you will want to read it after some time.”
21. “And do more than read,” Grandfather said. “Pray to God. There is God the Father, God the Son who is Jesus, and God the Holy Spirit, the three in one. That’s one of the great mysteries you will learn about. If you ask God for anything according to His will, He will give it to you. Understanding His Word is definitely something He wants for you!”
22. Sunshine felt curiosity filling her feathers. She wanted to fly and sing and learn! She went to the nest in the hutch where her parents were still raising her little brother and asked them for help. Her mother nodded gladly, though her father seemed strange, confused. For weeks, Sunshine and her mother read the Gospel of John and other books from the New Testament. The Word got into Sunshine, and she truly loved God. One day, she cried to God from her heart, “I don’t like myself without you. I want to be yours! Show me how.” On that day, she felt the Holy Spirit tingling throughout her body, and she flew faster than she had ever flown before! And as the days passed, Sunshine knew in her heart that she longed for God and that Jesus was the way, the truth and the life.
23. All this time, Sunshine had forgotten about the berries that she used to love. One day, the woman brought them, and she wanted them again. As she flew to the berries, Rainbow flapped across her path. Sunshine sighed as she landed by Rainbow. “I have to ask your forgiveness,” she said. Rainbow cocked his head confusedly. “Stay away from me! You’re trying to trick me!” “I’m not,” Sunshine said. “I’ve changed, and I can help you change too. Have you heard about Jesus?” “Just a little bit,” Rainbow said. “Well, I can tell you more,” Sunshine exclaimed. She cocked her head to right and left and noticed other birds listening. To all of them, she chirped, “It’s good news! God sent a savior to us…” After some time, Sunshine’s canary-father flew to her and started listening, but that’s another story. The End
