The Crippled Lamb by Max Lucado

Joshua is a lamb with black spots, sad eyes, and a crippled leg. It makes him sad to watch the other lambs run and play. His best friend Abigail, a cow, tells him that God has a special place for those who feel left out. When the flock leaves for another valley, Joshua has to stay behind. He has never felt so left out before. He goes back to the stable with Abigail.

Joshua is woken up to the sounds of a woman and a baby in the stable. The baby is in the manger, without a blanket. He is crying because he is cold. As the baby’s mother picks him up, Joshua walks over and curled up next to the baby. The baby soon fell back asleep. The woman tells Joshua that the baby is a king, God’s son. The flock suddenly comes rushing back to find the baby, Jesus. Joshua knew that the reason he was different was so that he could be there to help the baby Jesus.

This lovely Christmas story is a wonderful reminder of 2 Corinthians 12:9, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” With realistic pictures and sweet characters, this would make a wonderful addition to your Christmas/Advent traditions. I highly recommend this book for your family.

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1. Joshua feels left out a lot. When have you felt left out?
2. Has God forgotten about you when you feel left out?
3. Sometimes God uses hard things in our lives for good things. Can you think of an example?