One day a young English artist named Alfred Tucker was painting a picture which he hoped would make him famous. He was painting it in the hope that it would find a place among the prize pictures in the Royal Academy. He put his whole soul into it. It was a picture of a lovely young woman with a little babe in her arms struggling up a street in London. As he painted, his heart was filled with a great longing, for he was a good man. He called the painting "Homeless" but he was not satisfied. Laying down his brush still wet with the paint he suddenly said, "God help me! Why don't I go and save the homeless instead of painting pictures of them?" Right there he gave his life in service to God. For two years he worked among the slums in England then he read the famous letter from Stanley published in the Daily Telegraph. The letter spoke of the need of missionaries in Uganda and this touched Alfred Tucker's heart so he followed God's call to Africa.
Alfred Tucker's mother and father were also artists. Alfred was successful enough to have his paintings exhibited in the Royal Academy. He did not sign his paintings as Alfred Tucker, instead he signed them Alfred Maile (his mother's maiden name was Maile). But, if you go to the Royal Academy in England today you will not see his work. If you go to heaven you will see the results of his work and it will never be forgotten. It will not be paintings but instead it will be many very happy people that Alfred shared the good news with. These people will be eternally happy and thankful to Alfred for his help when they were needy in England and Uganda. Alfred could have created a treasure of valuable paintings here on earth, instead He listened to Jesus:
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Matthew 6:19-21 (NASB)
Devotional Story Reference: Children's Missionary Story - Sermons / Homeless, By Hugh T. Keer, 1915
Lesson Questions for the Full Story:
Content: Yo!, Youth Outreach, Youth
Outreach, Children's Devotionals,
Children's Bible Devotionals, Children's Daily
Devotionals, Children's Bible Lessons, Children's
Bible Stories, Children's Missionary Stories,
Children's Bible Verses, Children's Scripture Memory,
Devotionals for Youth, Bible Devotionals for Youth,
Daily Devotionals for Youth, Bible Lessons for Youth,
Bible Stories for Youth, Missionary Stories for Youth,
Bible Verses for Youth, Scripture Memory for Youth,
The Gospel, The Good News, The Gospel of Lord Jesus
Christ, New Testament Stories, Old Testament Stories,
Jesus, God's only begotten Son, Stories of Jesus,
Jesus Parables, Born Again, The way the truth and the
life, God's love, Everlasting life, The Father the Son
and the Holy Spirit, The Holy Ghost, The Everlasting
Father, The Prince of Peace, The bright and morning
star, God so loved the world, yoroom
