Stretched to Protect

Bible Reading: Ephesians 5:1-2; 1 Peter 2:19-24

Mom handed Tracy half of a fitted sheet. “Would you help me, please, sweetheart?”

Tracy grunted as she stretched the sheet as taut as she could over a mattress corner. She surveyed her attempt and frowned. “It’s barely hanging on, and it has more wrinkles than a Shar-Pei.”

“It just needs to be pulled”—Mom skillfully tugged—“a little tighter.” With that, everything fit perfectly.

“Fitted sheets sure are a pain,” Tracy complained. She glanced out the window where lazy snowflakes drifted by. Mrs. Nelson was shoveling the walk to her front door. Tracy’s frown deepened. “Mrs. Nelson sure thought we were a pain. She probably won’t even read the book we got her for Christmas.”

Mom followed Tracy’s gaze. “It’s hard to give gifts to people who don’t want them. Sometimes it feels like we did something wrong when we really did something right. It’s an uncomfortable feeling, isn’t it?”

Tracy scowled. “We were trying to be nice! We prayed and picked a gift especially for her that would help her know Jesus.”

“Well,” said Mom, “we can’t know what Mrs. Nelson thought even if she seemed a bit irritable—”

“A bit? She yelled at us!” Tracy interrupted, yelling herself. “What if she throws it in the trash without opening it? What if she has no clue how much effort we put into that gift? What if we just wasted our time, money, and prayers?”

“What if it’s like this fitted sheet protecting your mattress?” Mom asked, patting smooth a tiny lump. “Sometimes God stretches us past our comfort zone so we can reach others. What if God is using us to reach Mrs. Nelson so she can know God’s love and protection?”

Tracy looked doubtful. “Maybe. I wish it could feel less like stretching.”

“I know being stretched can feel painful,” Mom said. “Jesus was literally stretched on the cross so we could receive His gift of eternal life. We’re not always easy to give gifts to either! But Jesus’ suffering wasn’t wasted, and neither is ours. Let’s keep praying and loving Mrs. Nelson even when it’s uncomfortable. Sometimes loving others stretches us. It’s a chance to obey God and live like Jesus.” Pearl Allard

How About You?

Do you find it hard to love others sometimes? Does it stretch you past your comfort zone? Remember everything Jesus went through to show us His love. He was obedient to God so we could be saved from our sins, even though it hurt Him. Like Jesus, we need to obey God too by showing His love to others, even when it stretches us. He will use your obedient, loving attitude for good.

Today’s Key Verse:
Ephesians 5:2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us.

Today’s Key Thought:

Love others even when it’s hard