Bean Bag Frog

The Parable of the Beanbag Frog

Beanbag frog #508

Presented this  

June 17, 2004

To

Sister Manoa

  

From

President & Sister Pulsipher

First, you didn't get just an ordinary, everyday beanbag frog.  I'm special.  To start with, just look at me, have I got personality or what?  I come from a special family of beanbag frogs. I have a pedigree.  There is only one #508 beanbag frog in the whole world.  I have been especially assigned to you and your family.  My parents are keeping track of where we have gone.  I can make a difference in your life.  To help you understand I will share with you the "Parable of the Beanbag Frog".

It all started with my cousin who belonged to a little three-year-old girl named Kristin.  He was a gift from Kristin's primary teacher.  Oh how Kristin loved him.  There is even a picture of them taking a nap together. 

I will let Kristin's dad tell their story.

One day the beanbag frog came up missing.  Kristin and I looked all over the house but he was nowhere to be found.  I asked Kristin, "Do you think our Father in Heaven knows where your little frog is?”  She responded, "Of course he does, he knows everything".  Well, if we will ask him he will tell us.  So, we went into Kristin's bedroom, knelt down and shared a little prayer.  The prayer went like this, "Heavenly Father, we have a problem.  Kristin has lost her little frog that she loves very much.  We know that you know where he is.  Will you tell us so that we can find him?”  We then sat on Kristin's bed and I told Kristin that the way Heavenly Father talks to us is through ideas and pictures in our mind.  So, lets sit here and listen for him to tell us. When an idea pops into our mind we have to go look.  For the next thirty minutes we had a lot of ideas and looked in every place that we were told but still no little frog.  I mentioned to Kristin that sometimes it’s hard and that we have to keep trying.  That night we knelt down and had another prayer together asking for Heavenly Father's help to find the little frog.  While we were doing this Kristin's mom was aware of what we were doing and she was starting to think of where that frog might be.  In the middle of the night Kristin's mom awoke with an idea.  With a kitchen chair, she reached up in the top of Kristin's closet, took down the very top box, and guess who was in there?  You're right.  We never could figure out how he jumped that high.  I mentioned that sometimes Heavenly Father gives the answer to other people that help us find what we're looking for. 

Some people say that is a cute little story and others say God has more important things to do than find beanbag frogs.  But you and I know differently.  There is a Father in Heaven that knew where my little beanbag cousin was and more important he loved a little three-year-old.  You see, if a three-year-old discovers that her Father in Heaven loves her and can find her beanbag frog, she has discovered one of the great secrets of this life.  This has become quite a tradition for Kristin's family.  They could tell you hundreds of beanbag frog stories.

So, have you discovered the secret to the parable of the beanbag frog?  I really can make a difference.  When there is a time in your life that you have something that you really, really need, think of the Parable of the Beanbag frog.  It won't be long before you will have beanbag frog stories of your own to share. 

So here I am happy to be part of your family.  If you are so fortunate to have a three year old, or a two year old, or really an any year old in your family, would you share the parable of the beanbag frog?  I love to play with three-year-olds.  I like to be hugged, smushed, they can even chew on me if they like.  They can't hurt me.  One thing is for sure; you don't have to worry about losing me, do you?