JANUARY 14, Matthew 7:1

Oh, no!” cried Nicole as her little brother pushed the magazines off the coffee table. “What an awful day! James threw his food at me during breakfast, then tried to drown my doll in the bathtub, and now this!”

“Some people call his age ‘The Terrible Twos,’” said Mother, “but I prefer to think of it as ‘The Curious Twos.’ It is an age when children are learning so much.”

Nicole helped her mother rearrange the magazines. “It must be hard having such a naughty boy after having had a perfect child like me,” she said with a mischievous grin.

Mother laughed.“You will get a chance to see yourself at that age when Aunt Gina comes,” she said. “She is going to bring a video recording she made of the morning of her wedding.” “Good,” Nicole smiled. “I will make sure James watches and sees how a two-year-old should behave.”

The next week Nicole and her family all gathered in the living room to watch the video recording made several years earlier. “Oh, look!” exclaimed Nicole as the screen showed the family seated around a table. “That is me in my high chair, saying grace – how sweet.”

“Look again,”said Aunt Gina.“I cannot believe it!”gasped Nicole.“I am pouring milk onto the floor.”More scenes passed.“Why is the dog under the chair?” asked Nicole. “You pulled his tail,” replied Dad. Nicole was shocked.

“Here you are... dressed for the wedding,” said Mother. “How cute.” Nicole smiled. “Such a pretty white dress with blue bows.” But a moment later, Nicole again saw herself on the screen – this time the white dress was covered with brown streaks.

“Just before we were to leave for the church, you got outside and stomped through a mud puddle,” explained Aunt Gina. Nicole grinned as James climbed up on her lap. “Hey, little brother,” she said, “from now on, I will be more patient with you. I promise.”

Thought: Do you judge your little brothers or sisters or others too harshly?

Prayer: Heavenly Father, teach me to be patient and not to judge others. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.