Hello! I’m Louisa, and I’m a Locust, and I’ve been chosen to tell you an exciting story. I feel very proud to be chosen out of hundreds and hundreds of us, but you will see why it’s ME later.
It all began when our old home became so overcrowded that many of our family decided to find a new place to live. We had no idea where to go, so we just flew up into the air, and let the wind carry us. And that’s how we came to be here, in the desert of Judaea.
We all like our new home, and enjoy being together. It’s lovely having such a large family and care for them all. We don’t have a King to lead us, but in the Bible you will read that we are strong, even though we are small, because we all stay together and go everywhere with each other.
However, my story begins on the day I wandered away by myself. I had seen a lovely patch of fresh, mouth-watering new shoots, just ready to eat. So I called the others. No-one heard me as they were all noisily chatting to each other, so I walked over to the shoots, then saw more of them further on, and then further on again. I began to enjoy exploring by myself thinking how pleased the others would be when I told them of my discovery. Soon I was lost, but I wasn’t worried. I could easily find the others once I flew up over the shoots.
Then I heard someone talking very loudly. I was surprised, as we hadn’t seen anyone in the desert up until now. Quietly I crept forward, and peered round a tall clump of grass. I saw I was at the edge of the desert, and a man, dressed in camels hair clothes with a leather belt, was talking to a group of people.
“The Kingdom of God is coming” I heard him say. “So turn from your wicked ways.”
The Kingdom of God! We Locusts know all about our Heavenly Father’s Kingdom, and we had heard of God’s Son, Jesus, being born in a stable some years ago. Many of our relatives had been there and told us about Him.
I wondered if Jesus would be coming to see the Preacher. ‘Oh! if only I could see Jesus’ I thought. ‘How wonderful that would be, and for the others too.’
‘Yes! I must tell the others’ I said to myself, and I leaped into the air, and flew home as swiftly as I could.
‘Listen everyone!’ I cried as loudly as I could. ‘Listen to my news.’
‘Louisa! Where HAVE you been?’ asked Mum crossly.
‘Exploring’ I replied excitedly.
‘By yourself?’ asked Mum.
‘I wasn’t THAT far away’ I said. ‘Don’t worry, Mum’ and I gave her a hug.
‘Tell us your news, Louisa’ said cousin Larry, hopping up and down in his eagerness to find out what I’d been doing.
‘I heard a Preacher’ I told them. ‘And he was talking about God’s Kingdom coming.’
They were all silent then as they listened to me.
‘Do you think, perhaps, Jesus may come to visit him?’ I asked when I had told them everything.
‘We must find out more about this Preacher’ decided one of the Uncles.
‘I think we should go a few at a time’ another Uncle said.
‘I agree’ the others said, laughing. ‘There are too many of us to go all together’ and as I looked around I could see what they meant. There were hundreds of us!
So one group at a time went to listen to the Preacher as he spoke to the people along the banks of the River Jordan.
‘The Preacher is called “John the Baptist” announced one group.
‘He says Someone is coming who is much greater than he’ said another.
‘JESUS’ we all said. ‘It must be Jesus!’
‘I am glad you found him, Louisa’ Uncle Leo said, and everyone smiled at me. I felt so pleased.
‘May we move nearer to the Preacher?’ I pleaded. ‘And follow him so that we will be there if Jesus does come?’ I held my breath as I waited for the reply.
‘Good idea, Louisa, I’m sure Jesus will come’ the older ones agreed and, without wasting any more time, we flew off and landed on the river bank opposite to where John was preaching.
For the next few days we didn’t fly very far from John, and we watched him baptising many people in the river.
“I’m not worthy to untie, or even carry the sandals of the One who is coming soon” John told the people.
‘Jesus’ we all said again, and the noise of the older ones rubbing their wings together in excitement was really loud. The people looked at us - ‘What a noise those Locusts are making’ we heard them say.
But John laughed. ‘They know Who is coming’ he said as he looked at us - ‘Don’t you?’ he chuckled.
We all laughed too. Yes! We knew
And now I’m coming to the best part of my story.
Last week Jesus came to see John. And we all saw Him!
I’m still so excited I can hardly write this down, but I must because I’m sure you want to know what happened too.
Let me remember. Yes! I had flown across the river, and was sitting beside John when a man came towards us. John immediately jumped up and pointed - “Here is the Lamb of God” he cried. “This is the One I’ve been telling you about.”
It was JESUS!
A quietness came over the crowd, and in the silence I heard Jesus ask John to baptise Him. John didn’t want to, he didn’t think he was worthy of such an honour, but Jesus said “This is what God wants me to do.”
So John and Jesus went into the river, and Jesus was baptised.
I’m so glad I was there, because after the baptism, God opened the Heavens, and a Dove came down and rested on Jesus’ head, and I heard God, Himself, say “This is my own dear Son, and I am so pleased with Him.”
My eyes filled with tears. It was so wonderful, and by the time I had wiped them away the Dove had gone.
We all flew into the air then and made the loudest noise we possibly could to tell Jesus how much we loved Him.
He looked up, and with a wave of His hand, He smiled and said ‘Thank you, tell everyone what you have seen and heard, let them know how much I love them all.’
So this is why I, Louisa, just a little Locust, am writing this story.
Elizabeth Aynsley ©

Proverbs 30 v. 27 and Matthew 3 vs. 13 - 17.