NOVEMBER 30, Matthew 5:16

“Look over there, May!” Sean pointed. “There’s a parking space right by the door.” Mom had allowed May, Sean’s eldest sister, to take the car to school, and now they had to stop for some groceries before heading home.

As May drove toward the empty spot, she saw a blue and white sign.

“We can’t park there,” she said. “It’s reserved for handicapped people. We’re not allowed to use it.”

“Oh, come on!” whined Sean. “We’re in a hurry.” Just then another car pulled into the space. “That guy doesn’t look handicapped,” exclaimed Sean as they saw a man getting out of the car and walking towards the store. “We could just as well have parked there!”

“You can’t always see a person’s handicap,” said May, “and he does have a sticker.” She drove on and soon found another place to park.

When they reached home, Sean told Mom about the parking spaces. “May wouldn’t park there, but I don’t see why we couldn’t,” he complained. “That man didn’t look any more handicapped than I do. He didn’t have a cane or a walker or anything!”

“Oh, Sean! You’ve been grumbling all the way home,” said May. “Like I told you, there are all kinds of handicaps, and some don’t show so obviously when he is walking.” “That’s true,” said Mom. Seeing Sean scowl, she added, “There are other kinds of handicaps, too–bad attitudes or actions, for example.”

“Bad attitudes?” asked Sean. “I don’t get it.”

“When Christians display bad attitudes and actions, they’re handicapped in their testimony for the Lord,” explained Mom. “It makes it hard for others to tell that they know Him. It’s sad when that happens.” Sean knew Mom was referring to him, so he tried to make a joke out of it.

“Maybe those people should have handicap stickers and special parking places too,” he said.

“I don’t think so,” said May dryly.

Mom shook her head. “It certainly would not be a sticker we’d be proud of,” she said. “We need to tell people we’re Christians, but we also need to show them by the way we live.”

Thought: Do your actions and attitudes show that you love Jesus? Do you cheerfully put others before yourself and act unselfishly?

Prayer: Heavenly Father, help me to be a good witness for you. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.