Thought for the Week
April 26, 2025
It was the first day of school. My twin sister and I were in first grade. We wore our new jumpers with matching blouses. Our matching bobby socks were folded neatly over our brand-new sneakers. Our ponytails were tied with different colored ponytail holders so the teachers could tell us apart. In addition to our lunches, our brightly colored metal lunch boxes, held a small package of pencils and a big, pink eraser.
Our mother walked with us to the end of our block. From there, we would walk the rest of the way to school. We had practiced many times and knew the way. As we neared the corner, our mother gave us all the last-minute instructions. Now most mothers would include rules about not talking to strangers. However, this rule was personalized. “Now remember,” our mother told us, “Don’t pet strange dogs.”
The day passed quickly and our mother calculated how long it would take for us to walk home. When we seemed to be taking longer than expected, our mother walked to the corner of our block to investigate. As she turned the corner to the adjacent street, she saw the reason for the delay. We were petting a very, large German Shepherd!
“I thought I told you not to pet strange dogs!” our mother cried in exasperation.
“Don’t worry,” we replied. “He’s not strange. His name is Toby. We me him on the way to school!”
We may laugh at the logic of young children, but maybe there is a point worth considering. Even when we meet people that might seem to be unlikely acquaintances, or who may not be those in our comfort zone, God asks us to show kindness and to treat them as one of God’s children. He asks us to bless others and make a difference in the lives of those around us.
“God has chosen you and made you his holy people. He loves you. So always do these things: Show mercy to others; be kind, humble, gentle, and patient. Colossians 3:12 ICB
“So speak encouraging words to one another. Build up hope so you’ll all be together in this, no one left out, no one left behind.”I Thessalonians 5:11 Message
During this week, find ways to bring encouragement and hope to someone in need.
--Tracy Weakly