Published 10/8/19
By Greg Johnson
What If...
It’s almost the last day of school and we tell you that you can do something special to celebrate. You suggest a sleep-over with a bunch of girls from your class. We agree!
A few days before the end of the school year, you make your list: Amy, Susi, Lisa and Barb. I’ll start with those four, and then see if I need to invite more, you think.
The next day you see Amy on the playground and ask her to come. She sounds pretty excited, but has to check with her parents first. It hits you that all of the girls are going to have to ask their folks, so you decide to invite the other girls by phone tonight.
That night after dinner, you make the calls. All three girls are excited about the idea and their parents say yes.
“We’re going to have such a blast,” you tell Barb. “What movies should we watch?”
“Let’s talk to the other girls tomorrow before school and see what they say,” Barb says. “They may have seen the movies you and I suggest.”
“Good idea. See you tomorrow. Bye.”
The next day you meet the other girls near the tetherball courts. Seeing Amy, you call her over.
“Well, what did your mom and dad say about the sleep-over? Can you come?
“They said we’re leaving early for vacation the next day, so I can’t.”
All of a sudden, Tiffany walks up. “Did I hear someone say sleep-over? What are you girls planning? Can I come?”
Tiffany is a girl that hardly anyone at school can stand. She thinks she could get any guy she wants to “go with” her. Most of the girls try to avoid her.
Amy blurts out, “Well, since I can’t come to your sleep-over, you have room for one more. See ha.”
Questions to Think On
• What would you say if you had to make the decision?
• Would you be tempted to stretch the truth a little on what Mom might say?
• What is the worst that could happen if Tiffany came over? The best?
• Accepting someone into your group that you don’t necessarily like isn’t easy. How important is it for a Christian to accept others?
What Does God Have to Say?
He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8
And the Lord’s servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.
(c)
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