- 12 chapters
- 16 min read
- Accessible Reading difficulty
- Ages 8–12
Free to read·No account needed
The Young Man Who Broke Things
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Grow with the story
About this book
The true story of Brother Lawrence, a clumsy young servant who became a cook in a busy kitchen and learned to talk with God all day long, even among the pots and pans. This children’s edition retells his life and his simple teaching in short chapters made to be read aloud: a Bible verse, one part of his story, one thing it means for you, and a short prayer, with questions to talk about together.
Long ago, more than three hundred years before you were born, there lived a man we now call Brother Lawrence. Before anyone called him “Brother,” he was a young servant. He worked as a footman for an important man, a treasurer named Monsieur Fieubert. A footman’s job was to wait on his master, carry things, fetch things and keep everything neat and tidy.
Contents
- 1 The Young Man Who Broke Things 1 min
- 2 The Tree in Winter 1 min
- 3 A Happy Surprise 1 min
- 4 Too Many Books 1 min
- 5 The Kitchen He Didn’t Like 1 min
- 6 A Straw on the Ground 1 min
- 7 Pots, Pans and Prayer 1 min
- 8 Talking with God Like a Friend 1 min
- 9 The Boat Full of Barrels 1 min
- 10 When He Got It Wrong 1 min
- 11 Letters to Friends in Trouble 1 min
- 12 Going Home to God 1 min
Questions and Answers
What is The Practice of the Presence of God (For Children) about?
It is a children’s version of a much-loved little book about Brother Lawrence. It tells how a clumsy young man came to love God, worked for years in a kitchen he didn’t like, and learned to talk with God all through the day: while cooking, travelling, being ill and growing old.
Who was Brother Lawrence?
A Frenchman who lived more than three hundred years ago. He had been a footman, a servant, and called himself clumsy. After God turned his heart at eighteen, he joined a community of Brothers and worked as their cook. People came to him and wrote to him to learn how he stayed so close to God.
How is each chapter set out?
Every chapter is short and made to be read aloud. It begins with a Bible verse, tells one part of Brother Lawrence’s story or teaching, shows one simple thing it means for you, and ends with a short prayer. Three questions follow for talking it over.
Who is this book for?
It is for children aged about eight to twelve, to be read aloud by a grown-up or read by an older child alone. The full Practice of the Presence of God, with the recorded conversations and letters, is also available for older readers.
What does “practising the presence of God” mean?
It means remembering that God is always with us, and talking with him through the whole day, not only at special prayer times. Brother Lawrence did it with short, simple prayers in his heart while he worked.
Do you have to live in a monastery to pray like Brother Lawrence?
No. Brother Lawrence himself said you don’t need to be in church to be with God, and that anyone can talk with him: at school, at home, at mealtimes or in the middle of a busy day.
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Cite this book
Copy a citation in the style you need.
- MLA
- Brother Lawrence. The Practice of the Presence of God (For Children). Ochorus, https://ochorus.com/books/the-practice-of-the-presence-of-god-children/.
- Chicago
- Brother Lawrence. The Practice of the Presence of God (For Children). Ochorus. https://ochorus.com/books/the-practice-of-the-presence-of-god-children/.
- Chicago footnote
- Brother Lawrence, The Practice of the Presence of God (For Children) (Ochorus), https://ochorus.com/books/the-practice-of-the-presence-of-god-children/.
- BibTeX
- @book{brotherlawrencepractice, author = {Brother Lawrence}, title = {{The Practice of the Presence of God (For Children)}}, publisher = {Ochorus}, url = {https://ochorus.com/books/the-practice-of-the-presence-of-god-children/} }