Angry Wounds

Bible Reading: Ephesians 4:26, 31-32

“Look out!” yelled Cora as Maverick, a neighbor boy, turned his bike right in front of her. Cora used her brakes, but the tires skidded and she toppled onto the hard gravel. After a moment of stunned fright, she stood up and slowly limped home.

“My knee hurts so bad, Mom,” Cora whimpered, trying not to cry as her mom examined her knee.

“I’m sure it does,” said Mom. “Small pieces of gravel are stuck in that cut. We’ll have to get them all out or the wound could become infected.”

Mom gently washed Cora’s knee, then she sterilized tweezers and used them to carefully dislodged each tiny piece of gravel. Cora winced and felt her eyes fill with tears, but she clenched her teeth and didn’t complain. “Your knee may be sore for a few days,” Mom told her when the cut was bandaged, “but it should heal just fine.”

“This is all Maverick’s fault! I’ll never play with him again,” said Cora.

“Be careful, honey,” Mom said gently. “I know Maverick’s carelessness hurt you, but don’t let anger stay in your heart. Remember what could have happened if gravel were left in your knee?”

“You said it could get infected,” Cora replied.

Mom nodded. “Yes, and if we allow anger to remain in our hearts instead of dealing with it, it can lead to an infection called bitterness. So what should we do about it?”

Cora sighed. “I guess it would help if I talked to Maverick.”

“I agree,” said Mom. “I’m sure he’s sorry he hurt you. You could ask him to be more careful when he’s riding his bike.”

Cora nodded. “I guess I need to forgive him too, don’t I?”

“Yes, forgiving others stops bitterness from infecting our hearts,” said Mom. “But that’s not the main reason why we should forgive. We need to forgive others because Jesus has forgiven us. He took the punishment for our sins when He died on the cross, and whenever we do something wrong, He forgives us. And He tells us to let go of anger and bitterness and to forgive others like He does.”

Cora looked down at her bandaged knee. “Okay,” she said. “I’ll talk to Maverick tomorrow.”

-Karen E. Cogan

How About You?

Are you angry at someone? Anger can quickly turn into bitterness when you hold on to it and refuse to forgive. Don’t let bitterness infect your heart. Instead, let go of your anger and choose to forgive. Trust Jesus to help you, and if your anger or hurt feels overwhelming, talk to an adult. Jesus loves you and has forgiven all your wrongs, and He’ll help you do the same for others.

Today’s Key Verse:
Ephesians 4:32 (NIV) Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving
each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Today’s Key Thought:

Forgive others