In a town by the sea called Joppa, there lived a kind woman named Tabitha. Everyone loved her, because Tabitha was always helping somebody.
Tabitha had clever, busy hands, and she knew how to sew. All day long she would make warm coats and soft dresses and cozy clothes — not for herself, but to give away to people who were poor and had nothing to wear. She especially cared for the widows, the women who were all alone with no one to look after them. Tabitha was their friend, and she made sure they were warm and cared for.
Tabitha was a follower of the Lord Jesus, and she showed her love for Him by being good and kind to everyone around her. Wherever Tabitha went, she left a trail of kindness behind her, like flowers along a path.
But one day, something very sad happened. Tabitha became sick. Her friends took care of her as best they could, but she grew weaker and weaker, and then she died.
Oh, how everyone wept! The poor people and the widows gathered together, crying. They held up the warm coats and dresses that Tabitha had sewn for them, and they said, "Look what she made for us! Look how kind she was! Whatever shall we do without her?" The whole town was full of sorrow.
Now the people had heard that the apostle Peter, one of Jesus' closest friends, was in a town nearby. Quickly they sent two men to find him. "Please, please come at once!" they begged.
Peter came right away. When he arrived, the weeping widows crowded around him, holding up Tabitha's beautiful clothes, showing him all the good she had done.
Peter was filled with love and pity for them. He gently asked everyone to step outside the room. Then he knelt down beside Tabitha, and he prayed to God with all his heart.
Then Peter turned to her and said, "Tabitha, arise!"
And do you know what happened? Tabitha opened her eyes! She looked at Peter, and she sat up. She was alive again! God had heard Peter's prayer and given Tabitha back her life.
Peter took her by the hand and helped her up. Then he called all her friends back into the room — and there stood Tabitha, alive and well! You can imagine how they laughed and cried and hugged her for joy. It was like the happiest surprise in all the world.
The news spread all through the town of Joppa, and many, many people came to believe in the Lord Jesus because of the wonderful thing that had happened.
The story of Tabitha reminds us of something simple and beautiful. Tabitha was not famous or powerful. She was just a kind woman with a needle and thread and a loving heart. But her kindness was so precious to God that the whole town remembered it, and God Himself blessed her in a wonderful way.
You can be like Tabitha, too. Every kind thing you do — every time you share, or help, or comfort someone — is precious to God. For He sees every act of love, and nothing kind is ever forgotten by Him.
The story of Tabitha (also called Dorcas) is told in the Bible, in the Book of Acts, chapter 9. She is remembered for her good works and her love for the poor.