Eight year-old
Helio was a boy
who saw trouble
everywhere.
Rather a
negative person,
he would only
say: - I do not
know! I cannot!
I do not learn!
I am not able!
...
When Helio gave
one of those
excuses, saying
he could not do
his homework,
his mother would
encourage him
fondly:
 |
- How come, my
dear? You are a
very intelligent
boy. You just
need good will
and willingness
to do what you
want!
- But I do not
learn, Mom! I
don't understand
it when the
teacher explains
things and
therefore I
can't do my
tasks!
The boy repeated
these excuses so
much that one
day his mother
went to his
school to find
out what was
happening to her
son. Kindly, the
teacher saw the
worried mother
and said,
gently:
- Your son Helio
has no problems.
It turns out
that while I
explain the
material and put
it on the board,
he is
|
|
playing
with or
bothering
the
other
students. |
The mother went
home asking
Jesus to help
her solve the
problem. Upon
arriving home,
she saw Helio
playing in the
backyard and
asked:
- Honey, have
you done your
homework?
- Mom, I told
you I can't! I
can't learn!...
- complained the
boy with a
crying face.
|
His mother took
him by the hand
and led him to
his room. She
opened the door
and saw that the
window was still
closed and the
room was messy.
- Helio, why is
your room still
like this?
- Oh! It's just
that ...
|
 |
|
The boy was
going to make an
excuse but his
mother stopped
him: |
| |
|
 |
- Do not tell me
you do not know
how to open the
window or even
make your bed!
The boy lowered
his head and
remained
silent.
- This is called
laziness, my
son. You are
very smart and
everything you
want to do you
can. Why are you
|
|
always
making
excuses
for
everything?
If you
had any
real
problems,
if you
were
born
with
learning
difficulties,
like
your
classmate
Raul, I
could
understand
it. Or
like
Mario,
who has
a
problem
on his
hands
and
cannot
write
properly.
But
you?!
...
Would
you like
to be
called Helio, the lazy
boy? |
- Of course not,
Mom! - he said,
embarrassed and
starting to
cry.
His mother put
her hand on his
head and said,
looking around:
- Then, Helio,
look at how dark
this room is!
Look at the mess
it is in!
The boy raised
his head and
looked around as
if he was seeing
it for the first
time.
- Helio, open
the window!
The boy went to
the window and
opened the
shutters.
Immediately, the
sunlight entered
the room
lighting up
everything and
displaying the
mess even more:
the unmade bed,
dirty clothes
and shoes thrown
on the floor,
toys, books,
candy
wrappers... a
horror.
- What do you
think now? - the
mother asked.
- You're right,
Mom. My room is
in a horrible
state!
The mother
explained
earnestly:
- Do you know
the reason why,
dear? The
sunlight is
displaying that
we could not see
before. It is up
to us to open
our souls to
enlightenment,
just as it
depends on us to
open the window
and let the
light come into
our room and
into our lives.
There is no use
in the teacher
explaining the
subject if you
do not pay
attention and do
not bother to
learn. Thus, as
this room will
not clean
itself, learning
at school will
not happen by
itself either,
as it is with
anything else we
need to face in
life. Knowledge
is light in our
souls!
Helio nodded
showing that he
had understood:
- I'm ashamed of
how I have
behaved. I'm not
this poor thing
that I make
myself look
like, right,
Mom?
- Of course not,
my son! You are
very intelligent
and a quick
learner.
More excited,
the boy
continued:
- I also have a
good memory,
good health, a
perfect body,
I'm strong and
never get sick,
and soon I'll be
nine years-old!
- That's right!
And we will
celebrate it! -
the mother
smiled at the
child's
discoveries.
Helio was
thoughtful for a
moment, then
concluded:
- Mom, I promise
you: I will not
despise the
blessings God
has given me
anymore. I do
not want to be
called lazy.
The mother
hugged her child
with love,
thanking Jesus
for the help He
had given her,
and glad she
managed to get
him to see his
reality.
MEIMEI
(Psychographed
by Celia X. de
Camargo on
08.19.2013.)
