The Wind That Brought Peace
In the quiet town of Galilee, nestled between hills and olive trees, there lived a little girl named Rebecca who was often afraid of storms. Whenever the wind howled through the trees or the thunder rumbled above her house, Rebecca would hide under her blanket and pray for peace.
One evening, as clouds gathered in the sky, Rebecca’s grandmother lit a lantern and called her close. “Let me tell you a story,” she said, “about a special kind of wind—one that didn’t bring fear, but peace.”
Rebecca peeked out from her blanket. “A peaceful wind?”
“Yes,” she smiled. “It happened after Jesus rose from the dead. His friends were hiding in a room. The doors were locked because they were afraid. They didn’t know what would happen next.”
“Were they scared like me during storms?” Rebecca asked.
“Even more so,” said Grandma. “They thought people might come after them because they had followed Jesus. But then—poof!—Jesus appeared right in the room with them!”
“In the room?” Rebecca’s eyes grew wide.
“Yes! Without even opening the door. And the first thing He said was, ‘Peace be with you.’ His words filled their hearts with calm. Then, to help them understand it was really Him, He showed them His hands and His side.”
Rebecca sat up straighter. “Were they happy?”
“They were overjoyed!” Grandma said. “But Jesus wasn’t done. He said again, ‘Peace be with you,’ and then He did something amazing. He breathed on them.”
“He breathed on them?” Rebecca wrinkled her nose.
“Not like when you blow on soup to cool it,” Grandma chuckled. “This breath was special. Jesus said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’ Just like God breathed life into Adam long ago, Jesus was giving new life to His friends—a life filled with courage, love, and power to forgive.”
Rebecca thought for a moment. “So the Holy Spirit is like a peaceful wind?”
“Yes,” said Grandma. “You can’t see the Holy Spirit, just like you can’t see the wind. But you can feel the Spirit helping you be brave, kind, and forgiving. That’s the Spirit Jesus gave His friends, and He gives it to us too.”
Rebecca looked out the window. The wind was still blowing, but now it didn’t seem so scary. She took a deep breath and whispered, “Come, Holy Spirit.”
And just like that, peace filled her heart.
Moral: God’s Spirit brings peace and courage, even when we feel afraid.
Inspired by John 20:19–23
