Bible Reading: Colossians 3:12-17

“Did you see that clunky bracelet Megan is wearing?” Vivian whispered to the girls sitting near her on the bus, but Megan overheard. She looked down at the beaded bracelet she and her grandmother had strung together. Spaced between bright round beads were letters spelling J-O-Y. Megan had been excited to wear her new bracelet, but now it seemed silly. She quickly walked past Vivian and her friends as she got off the bus.

“Hi, sweetheart,” said Grandma as Megan came in the house. “Do you want a snack before we finish your necklace?”

“Grandma, would it be all right if we did something else today?”

“Sure, Megan, but you seemed so excited about beading.”

“I am. It’s just that Vivian said something to some other girls about my bracelet.” Megan sighed. “She’s supposed to be my friend.”

“Well,” said Grandma, “I have something I want to show you. Then if you still don’t want to finish your necklace today, we’ll do something else.” Grandma led the way to her craft room. Jars holding beads of many shapes and colors lined the shelves. Grandma reached for a jar hidden behind the others. “I’ve been saving this for a special project.” She pulled out a large red heart-shaped bead. “Why don’t you add this to your necklace?”

Megan looked at the necklace she had begun yesterday. The string was already full–there was only room for the clasp. “Grandma, there’s no more room. I’d have to take off some beads.”

“You know, friendship is a bit like stringing beads,” replied Grandma. “You have to decide what to keep and what to put aside. We have both happy and hurtful moments with our friends. But if we hold on to the hurtful moments, we won’t have room for anything else. Forgiving friends when they hurt us makes room for joy.” Grandma carefully eased some beads off the string. She threaded the heart onto the strand and handed Megan the necklace. “When forgiving is hard, we can go to Jesus,” Grandma said. “He’s the Friend who always forgives us, and He’ll help us forgive others.”

“I need to forgive Vivian,” Megan said as she slid more beads onto the strand. “Then we’ll have room for more happy moments as friends.”

–Heidi J. Schmidt

How About You?
Are you holding on to something someone did or said that hurt you? It hurts when others do or say mean things, especially a friend. But remember that if you’re a Christian, Jesus has forgiven you for all the hurtful things you’ve said and done. Let your friends know when they hurt you, but then forgive them so you’ll have room for more joyful moments together.

Today’s Key Verse:
Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. (NIV) (Colossians 3:13)

Today’s Key Thought:
Forgive and make room for joy