Good Advice

Good Advice

Romans 13:8-10

Letisha walked home, her eyes brimming with tears. A cold ache filled her. No one even sees me, she thought as her schoolmates ran by, laughing. That night she cried herself to sleep.

“Daddy, please, let’s move back to Miami. I hate it here!” she begged the next morning.

“But, honey, we can’t,” her father replied. “I’m sorry you’re so unhappy, but I can’t quit my job.”

Tears rolled down Letisha’s cheeks. “We’ve been here six weeks, and I still don’t have one friend—not one!”

Mom looked up. “Letisha, long ago I learned a little poem. Listen,” she said. “I went looking for a friend, but not one could be found; I went out to be a friend, and friends were all around.”

Letisha wiped her face with a napkin. “What does that mean?”

Mom explained gently. “It means that you shouldn’t worry about finding a friend. Instead, look for someone who needs a friend.”

Dad stood up. “The Bible gives the same advice in the book of Proverbs,” he said. He squeezed her shoulder. “You’ve been feeling sorry for yourself, honey. It’s time to think about others. Now grab your books, and I’ll give you a ride to school.”

When they got to school, Letisha jumped from the car. “Do what God says—be friendly today,” encouraged Dad. “He knows what he’s talking about.”

As Dad drove away, Letisha noticed a girl going up the walk. That looks like the girl who sits across from me in homeroom, Letisha thought. What’s her name? Oh, yes—Nadine. I wonder where all her friends are. Maybe . . . “Nadine, wait up,” Letisha called. “Could I walk with you?”

Nadine looked up, and a smile spread over her face. “Sure. I’ve been here for seven weeks, and you’re the first person who has even noticed me.”

A warm feeling filled Letisha, driving out the cold lonely ache. Dad’s right, she thought. God does know what he’s talking about. BW

How about You?

Do you feel lonely? left out? Do you always wait for others to speak to you first? Instead of waiting for someone to be a friend to you, why not do what God says? If you’ll start today to be a friend, you’ll find friends everywhere.

Memorize:

“A real friend sticks closer than a brother.” Proverbs 18:24

Be a Friend