The Stone Bracelet
THE STONE BRACELET
Read Romans 5:1-5.
“Grandpa! Kaitlyn is moving!” Abbie looked very sad. “Why does everything have to go wrong? First my kitten disappeared, then I ruined my favorite shirt, and now this.”
“I’m sorry, honey,” said Grandpa. “Can you trust God to teach you through these things?”
“I don’t want to learn,” mumbled Abbie.
Grandpa left the room. Soon he returned, carrying a box. “These are some stones your Grandma and I picked up on a trip to the Black Hills. Want to trade your bracelet for these?”
Abbie looked at her polished-stone bracelet and shook her head. “The stones in this box are rough and dirty. Mine are smooth and shiny.”
Grandpa smiled. “Well,” he said, “Grandma and I planned to have these stones polished and made into jewelry, but we never did. So they’ve just been lying around. The stones in your bracelet have been tumbled around with sand and other stones. The rough edges have been ground off, and they’ve been rubbed until they shine.
“You know,” continued Grandpa, “our lives are like that. When we face difficult times, some of the rough edges get polished off. We learn from our troubles and become more like Christ.”
“I don’t see how,” mumbled Abbie.
“Losing Patches helps you to understand how others feel when they lose someone they love,” suggested Grandpa. “Ruining your shirt may have taught you to be more careful. Having your best friend move can help you be friendly to children who don’t have a best friend. Those things will make you a better person.”
HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you feel like you’re being bumped around by difficult times? Maybe the Lord wants to polish off some rough edges. What can you learn from what is happening in your life right now? Thank God for polishing you and making you more like Him.
TO MEMORIZE:
We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance.
Romans 5:3
LEARN FROM PROBLEMS.
From the book
