Read: Proverbs 4:1-4; Galatians 5:16-18, 22-25

“Want to see the ring I got?” Lucy pulled a small box from her dresser drawer and showed her friend Skye the delicate opal ring inside. “It used to be my grandma’s.”

“It’s so pretty!” said Skye. “Can I wear it for a while?”

Lucy bit her lip. “My mom told me not to take it out or wear it until I’m older. She doesn’t want it getting lost.”

“Oh, come on!” said Skye. “I won’t tell her. Please?”

Lucy had a bad feeling about letting Skye wear the ring, but she was afraid of what Skye might think if she said no. So she handed over the box.

Later, the girls went to the park across the street. They were twirling each other on the swings when Skye’s phone buzzed. “It’s my mom,” Skye said. “I gotta go.” As she took Lucy’s ring off and held it out, she stumbled. The ring fell to the pavement, bounced once, and disappeared down a drain.

“My ring!” cried Lucy. The girls peered down the drain, but the ring was gone.

When Lucy got home, she tearfully told her mom what had happened. “I had a bad feeling about not listening to you and letting Skye wear the ring, but I was afraid she wouldn’t like me anymore if I said no. Now it’s lost forever!”

“I’m afraid you’re right,” said Mom. “I’ll check with the city sewer service, but it’s probably impossible to get it back.” She sighed. “You know, Lucy, that bad feeling you had reminds me of how the Holy Spirit often works in our lives. He guides us in doing what’s right and warns us against things that are wrong and hurtful, but we have a choice in whether we listen to Him or not. You’re going to be a teenager soon, and more and more people will try to get you to do things that are wrong—things that can have very serious and lasting consequences.”

“So the Holy Spirit helps me say no to things that are wrong?” asked Lucy.

Mom nodded. “He helps you live in a way that points to Jesus, who freed you from sin and made you a new person. Any time you sense Him warning you against something, listen to Him.”

–Rosalie J. Currier

How about you?

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