The Brake And The Spur
 
 

Samuel was an intelligent boy who was always striving to do his best but because he wanted to get ahead he would often make mistakes by jumping the gun and miss opportunities to do something good and useful for his neighbours.

He had learned in the evangelisation classes that he needed to do good, and had a strong desire to help his friends with their homework or whatever they needed, but he could not because he always wanted his classmates to do their homework his way.

One day he was very upset, sitting on the porch of his house and watching the movement of the street with the cars passing by and the people walking on the sidewalk.

Suddenly Martha, his evangelisation teacher, passed by and saw him sitting there pensively, so she stopped and opened the front gate, saying:

- Hello, Samuel! What are you thinking about? You seem to be somewhere else! ...

The boy smiled at her, pleased:

- Hello, Aunt Martha! I'm thinking about life!

Surprised, the teacher sat down close to him and smiled, amused at his words: - Wow! You're still too young to think about life, Samuel! Did something happen? - No, Aunt Martha, I just want to help people but find it difficult!... Martha looked at him, trying to understand what difficulty Samuel saw in helping people, so she smiled and said: - We have to help people with what they need. Samuel, who was listening to her words, replied: - But that's exactly what I cannot figure out: what

they want!

- Ah!... I see, Samuel. You want to help them but you do not know what they want. For example, if you want to help me now, you need to know what I really want or need! Right now, I want to know who can fix my sneakers! Otherwise, you may tire yourself and not resolve "my" situation. Got it?

- That’s exactly my doubt, Aunt Martha. Sometimes the person is rushing to perform a task but does not know how to do it! At other times, they know how to do it but do not have the means to do it.

- I got it, Samuel. In the Gospel there is a page that talks exactly about it! In our lives our Spiritual Friends use two measures, that is, the brake and the spur.

- What do you mean, Aunt Martha?

The boy smiled, saying with satisfaction:

- I do, Aunt Martha! When a person goes too fast, like the horse, our Spiritual Friends use the brake, that is, they prevent the person from running too quick and losing the opportunity to help.

- That’s right, Samuel! And what about when the person goes slowly, without worrying about what he needs to do?

- In that case, our Spiritual Friends use the spur, forcing the person to go faster, according to their need, don’t they?

- Exactly, Samuel! - replied the teacher, smiling. - It all depends on our decision, right?

- Interesting! Now, I see that our Friends from the other side help us with exactly what we need!

- You’re right, Samuel. For each temperament, they use a different technique, helping the candidate for evolution to learn how to help himself.

The boy smiled satisfied and jumped into the teacher's arms, giving her a big hug as he agreed:

- That’s interesting, Aunt Martha! God, Our Father, knows exactly how we are and gives us the best way to solve our problems!

- That’s correct, Samuel. Our Father never errs in His actions! He gives each one exactly what we need to perform our tasks.

Samuel became silent and thoughtful, then spoke again:

- Our Father knows us very well, doesn’t he? He knows exactly what to give us. Aunt Martha, I really enjoyed what I learned today! Thank you!

The teacher hugged him and they both walked down the street, trying to find out which glue was necessary to fix her sneakers. Then Samuel smiled.

- How wonderful! I am satisfied with the opportunity to do my best!... I am going to look for a friend of mine to tell him about the conditions that we have to help our neighbour.
 

MEIMEI

(Psychographed by Célia X. de Camargo on 11/07/2016.)