The Last Words

Bible Reading: JAMES 1:19-20

“I hate you!” yelled Lindy as she ran out of the house. She hurried to the corner where she caught the school bus each day. It was already coming down the street. I’ll probably get grounded for saying that, she thought, but I don’t care! Mom makes me so mad!

Whenever Lindy’s anger began to fade throughout the day, she would feed it bitter thoughts—she wanted to stay mad. Why does Mom always say no? she grumbled to herself when she felt her anger weakening. Why can’t she be like Jasmine’s mom? She lets Jasmine do anything.

At lunchtime, Lindy opened her lunchbox. Tucked next to her sandwich was a note: Lindy, I love you. Mom. Lindy felt a little ashamed—but not too much. Mom just wrote that because she feels guilty for not letting me go to Bella’s party, she told herself.

By the time school was dismissed, Lindy had written out a long list of complaints to present to her mother. Some Bible verses suddenly came to her about how love keeps no record of wrongs and how Christians should forgive others the way they’ve been forgiven, but Lindy pushed them out of her mind. She had to have something to justify her angry words that morning, and there was a lot she wanted to say! She was looking at the list when the school bus squeaked to a stop near her street.

As Lindy got off the bus, she heard the scream of sirens, and a firetruck roared past and turned onto her street. A few minutes later she saw that its lights were flashing in front of her house. Terror gripped her, and she stumbled a little as she ran up the street. Is our house on fire? Where’s Mom? she wondered frantically.

Finally, Lindy spotted her mom standing near the edge of the lawn, watching the firefighters spray water over the burning storage shed in the backyard. Sobbing, Lindy ran into her mother’s arms. “Oh, Mom,” she whispered, her list of complaints forgotten, “I’m sorry for the way I acted! I love you!” She smiled at her mom, glad her words of anger and bitterness that morning were not the last words she’d have a chance to say. BARBARA J. WESTBERG

How About You?

Have you left home with sharp words and anger between you and someone in your family? Do you feed those feelings with bitter thoughts? People make us angry sometimes, but don’t let anger and bitterness have the last word. Deal with your disagreement in a loving way. Jesus loves you, and He put that person in your life. He will help you work toward forgiveness and understanding.

Today’s Key Verse:
COLOSSIANS 3:13 DON’T BE ANGRY WITH EACH OTHER, BUT FORGIVE EACH OTHER… FORGIVE OTHERS BECAUSE THE LORD FORGAVE YOU. (ERV)

Today’s Key Thought:

Speak words of love.