Daily Devotional for March 26, 2020
Not So Different
“Hey,” Chase greeted Ariana as she came up the driveway after school. “Mom invited a girl—a missionary kid—to come for supper and go with us to the school talent show tonight. Her name’s Lauren, and her family lives in Africa. They’re visiting Pastor Burns this week, and Mom thought Lauren would like to meet some kids her own age.”
“Oh, great,” said Ariana, rolling her eyes. “She probably wears funny clothes and doesn’t have the slightest idea how she’s supposed to act here. And all the kids at school will see me with her. How embarrassing!”
“Oh, come on, Ariana,” said Chase. “You can be so silly!” He left to go shoot hoops with a friend across the street.
Frowning, Ariana went into the house, where her mother repeated what Chase had told her. “But, Mom!” said Ariana. “What will I talk about with a strange girl from a strange place?”
“Don’t worry about it, honey,” said Mom. “She’s just an ordinary girl like you.” Ariana doubted that.
When Lauren arrived, Ariana had to admit that her clothes didn’t look different. In fact, they looked pretty cool! And she didn’t act different either. When Mom explained that they’d be eating at a fast-food place before the talent show, Lauren smiled. “That’s my favorite. There’s one of those in Nairobi, and every once in a while we get to go there.”
While they were eating, Mom and Dad asked Lauren about her school and her life in Africa. Soon Ariana found herself eagerly joining in. It was fun to hear about a new place and another way of living.
“That was fun,” Ariana said after they dropped Lauren off. “Lauren and I are going to stay in touch after she goes back to Africa!”
“That’s great!” said Mom. “I’m glad you two connected. But even if you didn’t have so much in common, you’re still sisters in Christ because you both know Him as your Savior. Jesus unites us with all Christians, which is why we need to be kind and welcoming to them, no matter where they’re from or how different from us they may be.”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” said Ariana. “I’ll remember that the next time we have missionaries come to visit!” Linda M. Weddle
How about you?
Are you kind and welcoming to people who are different from you? You may be surprised to find they’re not so different from you after all! But no matter how similar or different they may be, Jesus wants you to show them kindness—especially if they know Him as their Savior too. Instead of focusing on your differences, learn from each other as brothers and sisters in Christ.
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