Read: Matthew 18:19-20; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

"Mom, I’m really worried about Charlotte,” Anna said as she sat down at the table. Charlotte and Anna were best friends and did everything together.

“What’s going on?” Mom asked as she added ingredients into the mixer.

“Well, she’s been having a lot of headaches lately. I’m worried there might be something seriously wrong with her. What if she has cancer or something?”

Mom plopped a scoop of raw cookie dough onto a tray. “It sounds like you’ve been doing a lot of worrying about this.”

“It’s all I can think about, Mom! I’m just so afraid something bad is going to happen to Charlotte. I can’t imagine life without her.”

Mom brought the tray of cookie dough to the table and sat down. “Have you prayed about it?” she asked.

“Um, well—no,” Anna said.

Mom sighed. “Well, I’ve been pretty worried too lately. Tomorrow is your school bake sale, and I’m worried these cookies won’t get baked in time!”

Anna glanced at the clock. “Mom, you have plenty of time. They don’t take that long to bake—just put them in the oven.”

“I guess I could, but I’d rather just sit here and worry about it,” Mom said.

Anna gave her mom a puzzled look. “Mom, you’re being silly!”

Mom smiled. “You’re right, it’s silly to sit here and worry when there’s something I could do about the problem. But you’re doing the same thing. You’re not helping your friend at all by worrying about her. You can help by doing something about it and praying for her.”

Anna knew her mom was right, and the two took a moment to pray for Charlotte. Then Anna helped bake the cookies and bag them up for the sale.

The next day Anna came home smiling. “Mom, guess what! Charlotte’s mom took her to the doctor yesterday, and it turns out she’s been having headaches because she needs glasses—not because she’s dying from some disease.”

Mom smiled. “So all that worrying for nothing?”

Anna nodded. “You were right, Mom. I should have done something about it and prayed for her in the first place.”

–Melissa Yeagle

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