NOVEMBER 17, Romans 12:10

“See my picture!” Little Emily proudly showed Samantha a page of scribbled lines. Streaks of different colours crisscrossed the picture of balloons. “That’s no good! Mom likes my pictures better than yours,” said Samantha. “Yours are always a mess! You just can’t draw or colour! You don’t stay in the lines.” Emily’s lips puckered, and big tear drops rolled. “Mommy!” she wailed and ran to find her mother.

“Don’t be a tattle-tale,” Samantha called after her. She sighed as she took an orange crayon from the box and began to carefully colour the stained glass window in a picture of a church. “Now I suppose Mom will come and fuss at me just because I told Emily the truth. My pictures are much neater and prettier than hers, so why shouldn’t I say so?” Samantha looked critically at her colouring and chose another crayon to use. The picture was nearly finished when Mom walked into the room, holding Emily’s hand.

“I came to see some pictures,” said Mom. “Let me see what you coloured today, Emily.” She found her picture and handed it to her mother. She beamed when Mom complimented her on the colours chosen.

Then Mom looked at Samantha’s picture. “This is very nicely done,” said Mom. “The outlines in your colouring book are boundaries, and you stayed in the lines very well as you coloured. Like you told Emily, a picture is prettier when you stay inside the lines.” Samantha smiled and nodded as she glanced at Emily. “But I’m concerned about some other boundaries that we have in life - God’s boundaries or rules,” added Mom. “When we obey His rules-like ‘Be kind to one another’ - it’s as though we’re making a pretty picture of our lives. When we go outside His boundaries, our ‘life-pictures’ don’t look very pretty to others or to God.” Mom looked at Samantha. “Do you think your words to Emily were within God’s boundaries?”

“I… I guess not,” Samantha mumbled, knowing she was wrong. “I don’t think so, either,” said Mom. “What can you do about it?” “Well, I… I’m sorry, Emily,” said Samantha. She smiled at her little sister. “Would you like me to help you colour another picture?” Emily nodded happily.

Thought: Have I showed kindness to people around me?

Prayer: Heavenly Father, help me to be a kind Christian, and to bear a good testimony for the Lord Jesus. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.