[Faith-talk] Daily Thought for Tuesday, May 6, 2014

[Paul]

Hello and a good Tuesday to all of you.  Of course, I know that you in Australia and New Zealand are in your early Wednesday morning, but the rest of us are still hopefully enjoying our Tuesdays.  Whatever time of day it is or day of the week, I hope that everything is going all right with you.

The following story has no name of an author to affix to it, but it was obviously a lady.  It's a somewhat short one entitled "A May Basket of Flowers, and Forgiveness," rendered as follows:

"Hey, do you know what? It's May Day!" my sister announced.  "Do you remember the May Day baskets we used to make with colored paper and paste?"

Childhood memories and warm feelings engulfed me as I recalled that my sisters and I would run around the neighborhood delivering the not-so-perfect baskets brimming with spring flowers.  We would place the handmade treasures on a doorstep, knock on the door, then scurry away as fast as our legs could carry us.  It was delightful to peer around a bush and watch our friends open their doors and pick up the colorful gift, wondering who had left it out for them.

I distinctly remember the May Day of the year that I was in fifth grade.  That year I was faced with the challenge involving one of my dearest friends.  She lived right across the road from our family, and we had walked together to school nearly every day since first grade.

Pam was a year older than I, however, and her interests were starting to change from the interests that we had together.  A new family had recently moved to our small town, and Pam was spending more and more time at their house.  I felt hurt and left out.

When my mother asked me if I was going to take a May Day basket to Pam's house, I responded angrily, "Absolutely not!" My mom stopped what she was doing, knelt down and held me in her arms.  She told me not to worry, that I would have many other friends throughout my lifetime.

"But Pam was my very best friend ever," I cried.

Mom smoothed back my hair, wiped away my tears and told me that circumstances change and people change.  She explained that one of the greatest things friends can do is to give each other a chance to grow, to change and develop into all God wants them to be.  And sometimes, she said, that would mean that friends would choose to spend time with other people.

She went on to say that I needed to forgive Pam for hurting me--and that I could act out that forgiveness by giving her a May Day basket.

It was a hard decision, but I decided to give her a basket.  I made an extra-special basket of flowers with lots of yellow because that was Pam's favorite color.  I asked my two sisters to help me deliver my basket of forgiveness.  As we watched them from our hiding place, Pam scooped up the flowers, pressed her face into them and said loudly enough for us to hear, "Thank you, Susie! I hoped you wouldn't forget me!"

That day I made a decision that changed my life:  I decided to hold my friends tightly in my heart, but loosely in my expectations of them, allowing them space to grow and to change--with or without me.

And there you have it for today.  Hope you enjoyed this story.

I was wondering:  When you ladies were in the fifth grade, did you have a similar experience and, if so, what did you do? You may reply privately or on the list, if you desire.

And now before I end this message today, let me give you the answer to Sunday's Bible game, for those of you who haven't heard it.  It was Daniel 8.

And now may the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob just keep us safe, individually and collectively, in these last days in which we live.  Lord willing, tomorrow there will be another Daily Thought message for you.  Your Christian friend and brother, Paul