The Worst Pain Of All
THE WORST PAIN OF ALL
Read 1 John 3:21-24.
Eric kicked a stone, sending it flying along the sidewalk. He heard someone coming up behind him and turned. It was Doug, one of the few kids at school who didn’t make fun of Eric’s bald head. “What’s wrong?” Doug asked.
“Oh, not much,” mumbled Eric. “It’s just that the kids have been making fun of me again.”
“Does having leukemia make your hair fall out?” Doug asked.
Eric shook his head. “That’s caused by the treatments I have to take,” he explained. “Thanks for never teasing me, Doug,” he added.
“Oh, that’s all right.” Doug smiled. “Want to come over and play with my race car set?”
After getting permission from his mother, Eric followed Doug to his basement. The boys had a good time sending their cars around the track. Then Doug asked, “Does it hurt to have leukemia?”
“Some of the tests hurt, and the treatments make me feel sick. But what I hate most is that my hair falls out,” said Eric, stopping his car. “And the teasing just makes it worse. How come you don’t tease like the others?”
“Because Jesus wouldn’t want me to,” Doug said. “It’s that simple.”
“I wish more kids knew about Jesus,” said Eric. “I don’t know much about Him either.”
Doug smiled. “Let’s go upstairs, and I’ll tell you more about Him,” he said.
HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you know someone who is teased because he or she looks or acts different? You can make life easier for that person by refusing to join in the teasing. Others will want to learn about Jesus when they learn He is the reason why you refuse to hurt people’s feelings.
TO MEMORIZE:
And this is his commandment: We must believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as he commanded us.
1 John 3:23
LOVE OTHERS FOR JESUS’ SAKE.
From the book
