Free as a Butterfly

Bible Reading: Colossians 3:12-15

Ana felt her face burn with embarrassment and anger. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Conner and Amos looking at her and laughing. “All those freckles,” she heard Amos whisper, and then they laughed again.

“Amos! Conner!” Mrs. Bootsma spoke sternly. “Settle down!”

At recess time, Ana didn’t feel like talking or playing with her friends. She found a grassy spot and plopped down by herself. I hate my stupid freckles, she thought as she watched a butterfly fluttering nearby. Or maybe I just hate Amos and Conner.

Ana saw her teacher approaching. “Mind if I join you?” Mrs. Bootsma asked. “It’s such a lovely day, I just had to come out.” Ana tried to smile as Mrs. Bootsma sat down. Neither talked for a little while. They just watched the butterfly. Then Mrs. Bootsma spoke again. “Isn’t that butterfly beautiful, Ana?” Without waiting for an answer, she continued. “God made butterfly wings very delicate, and He made them in a special way so water doesn’t soak into them. It just sits on top. If the water soaked in, the wings would get so heavy that the butterfly wouldn’t be free to fly.”

“That’s interesting,” said Ana. She wasn’t in the mood for another science lesson, but she didn’t want to hurt Mrs. Bootsma’s feelings.

“Our hearts are like that too,” Mrs. Bootsma continued. “If we let bitterness soak in, the heaviness weighs us down and we can’t be free. So Jesus gives us the ability to forgive. His love is like a special coating on our hearts that can keep bitterness from soaking in. When others hurt us, we can bring our hurts to Him instead of becoming bitter. He gives us the ability to forgive so we can freely love others the way He loves us.”

Ana looked at her teacher. She knew Mrs. Bootsma must have heard what Conner and Amos said. “Thanks, Mrs. Bootsma.” She stood. “If it’s okay with you,

I think I’ll play with my friends now.”

As Ana ran to the swings, she passed Conner and Amos. “Great job on your drawings in art today,” she called to them. They looked at her in surprise. She smiled and felt free as a butterfly. • Melissa Ross

How About You?

Has someone hurt your feelings? Have you allowed bitterness to soak in and weigh you down? It hurts when others say or do mean things, but don’t let your hurt turn into bitterness. Talk to Jesus about it, and trust Him to help you forgive others as He has forgiven you. When you let go of bitterness and choose to forgive instead, you can enjoy the freedom of showing others God’s love.

Today’s Key Verse:
Colossians 3:13 Forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. (NIV)

Today’s Key Thought:

Forgive others