Adventure in the forest!
With cheerful chatter, Tom, Hanna, Lukas, Emma and their class walked behind their teacher. Today a school trip to the forest was on the program. The sun shimmered through the green leaves, and the scent of moss and fresh earth filled the air.
“It’s going to be great!” exclaimed Lukas enthusiastically. “My grandpa always says that the forest is full of secrets.”
The class followed a narrow path through tall trees. Birds were chirping, and a small brook was babbling in the distance. But when they stepped into a clearing after a long while, Emma suddenly realized: “Wait a minute… I don’t see our teacher anymore!”
Tom looked around. Sure enough, there were only six of them: He, Hanna, Lukas, Emma and two other children from her class. The trees around her now seemed much larger, the forest denser. A light breeze blew through the branches, and a faint rustle made Emma wince.
“I think we’re lost,” Hanna murmured worriedly.
Lukas tried to grin, but his voice sounded uncertain: “Well, the way was before… um, there?” He pointed in one direction, but no one was sure.
“What are we going to do now?” one of the other children asked nervously.
Tom took a deep breath. “Let’s stay calm for now. You know, that reminds me of the story of Moses. When the people of Israel did not know where to go in the desert, God showed them the right way.”
Hanna nodded. “That’s right! They had a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night, which helped them not to lose their way.”
“Maybe God will help us here in the forest,” Emma said thoughtfully.
“Do we want to pray together?” Hanna suggested.
The children held each other’s hands, and Tom said:
“Dear God, please help us to find the right path. Just as You showed Moses and his people the way in the wilderness, lead us safely out of this forest. We trust that You will not leave us alone. Amen.”
Everyone said softly, “Amen.”
When they opened their eyes again, they noticed something: the wind had blown some leaves aside, and a narrow trail became visible.
“Look!” shouted Lukas. “This is certainly our way!”
Full of new hope, the children followed the path. After a few minutes they heard voices – and there, behind a small bend, stood their teacher with the other children!
“There you are!” the teacher shouted relieved. “I was going to look for you!”
Lukas grinned. “We had a little extra tour – but with God’s help we found the way.”
As they walked on together, the children felt a bit like Moses and the people of Israel – guided, protected and on the right path together.
Bible passage
The story that best fits this experience is the leadership of the people of Israel through the wilderness under Moses. A suitable biblical passage can be found in 2. Moses 13:21-22:
Exodus 13:21-22 (Schlachter 2000):
“And the Lord went before them, by day in a pillar of cloud to show them the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might walk day and night. The pillar of cloud never departed from the people by day, nor the pillar of fire by night.”
These verses illustrate how God led His people safely, just as the children in the forest felt guided by trust and prayer.
