Theme: Forgiveness; love enemies
Learning to forgive
The school bell rang, announcing that the break had
begun.
Mariana took her wallet and went to the cafeteria to buy
her lunch. The line was always long so, she hurried up.
When it was her turn, she asked for what she wanted and
paid for it. She checked her change and tucked it into
her wallet. She was always careful as her mother gave
her the exactly amount of money for lunch for the whole
week.
As soon as she closed her wallet, a boy in her class
looked at her and said:
- Can I borrow money so I can buy a sandwich? I´ll pay
you tomorrow. I left my lunch at home and I'm hungry.
Mariana didn't like the idea very much. She was going to
need the money later. And Elijah wasn't even her friend,
he used to hang out with other people.
The girl looked at him for a few seconds, wondering what
to say. Finally, she said:
- Fine! But you have to give it back to me tomorrow,
huh?
- Don’t worry! – Elijah said happily.
Mariana gave him the money and felt good to be helping a
colleague.
She stood nearby watching and was surprised when Elijah
asked for just a piece of gum and put the rest of the
money in his pocket.
“Well, if he is hungry, I think he'll buy food later”
Mariana said to herself.
But Elijah didn't buy anything else. He just wanted the
gum anyway.
The next day, at break time, Mariana went after him.
– Hi Elijah, how are you? Can you pay me the money I
lent you, as we agreed? Sorry for charging, but I'm
going to need it.
Elijah said nothing and walked away. He left Mariana
unanswered, talking to herself. The girl was devastated.
She realized that Elijah was not honest.
Next days, Elijah turned his face when he saw Mariana
and she felt very angry.
Mariana told her mother what had happened. Her mother
listened calmly and said:
- Daughter, you did nothing wrong but one thing. Do you
know what?
- I do - Mariana said nervously - I believed that kid
would pay me and thank me. But he did quite the
opposite!
- No, that wasn't it, dear! You loaned money to a
colleague who said he was hungry. That wasn't wrong. I'm
glad you're a good person, daughter.
- But now I've run out of money - Mariana argued sadly.
- Don’t worry about it. God is fair and knows everything
that goes on. He will know how to reward you as you only
did good. And you will also know how to teach Elijah
without you having to embitter your heart. Who plants,
it reaps. If he has planted dishonesty, unfortunately,
one day he will reap that too.
- I hope so! I hope he is deceived, robbed, humiliated
and everything bad happens to him!
- No, daughter! Don’t talk like that! That's the only
thing you're doing wrong! Jesus taught us that we must
love our enemies.
- Oh, not that one! - Mariana said with a startle -
Jesus, I'm sorry, but I can't love that pest, no way!
- Calm down, daughter! Loving enemies is not the same as
loving friends. How are you going to love a person you
don't trust? The love that Jesus asks from us for
enemies is not wishing them evil, not being happy with
their suffering and, on the contrary, wishing them well.
Only that!
- I don't need to like Elijah, then?
- No… I mean, at least for now! - said the mother,
smiling.
- And don't even lend him more money? - Mariana asked.
- Of course not, daughter! You must not wish evil or
take revenge. But you also don't have to act silly or
let someone else harm you.
The mother talked a lot with Mariana, explaining to her
that whoever forgives is freed and trusts in Divine
Justice. Finally, the girl understood and said:
- Okay, Mom! It will even be easier for me to leave this
story behind. I really don't like to remember Elijah and
I don't even like to be angry at him. I have my own
business.
- That's right, darling!
The two embraced and, without realizing it, they were
also embraced by Mariana's guardian angel. He was glad
that she was learning the difficult lesson of forgiving
and loving enemies.
Translation:
Larissa Martine - larissa_am@hotmail.com
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