Daily Devotional for December 14, 2017
The Dogsled Ride
“Why do we have to take Mrs. Anderson to church with us tomorrow?” asked Miriam. “I can’t stand her!”
“I don’t like her either,” said Miriam’s little brother Brendon.
“Me neither!” said Flynn, the youngest.
“That’s enough!” said Mom. “That is not a kind thing to say about an elderly woman who can’t get to church on her own.”
A while later, Mom came to Miriam’s room. “Want to go for a ride? I have the dogs hooked up to the sled. Dad will stay here with the boys.”
“All right!” Miriam eagerly followed her mom outside. “You put Kodiak on the team today?” Miriam asked as she looked at the dogs. “When we take him, the other dogs don’t run as well!”
“Well, I need to train him, and he needs the practice,” Mom said. Miriam sighed loudly and sat down on the sled, and Mom hopped on the runners. “Let’s go!” Mom shouted. The dogs took off, and they glided onto the snow-packed road. Miriam yelled out in excitement as they raced to the top of the hill.
Just then Kodiak spotted a branch sticking out of the snow. He pulled hard toward the side and stopped. For a minute, the other dogs tried to go on, but soon they all stopped and got tangled up in each other’s lines. Mom got off the sled to straighten them out.
“I knew this would happen!” said Miriam. “Why did we have to use Kodiak?”
“You should be more patient with him,” Mom said. “After all, the two of you are kind of alike.”
“What do you mean?” asked Miriam in surprise.
“Kodiak sets a bad example for the other dogs, and you’ve been setting a bad example for your brothers,” Mom explained. “You often say mean things about people, and then they think it’s okay for them to think of people that way too. But that’s not how Jesus wants us to treat others.” Mom finished untangling the lines and got back onto the sled runners. “Jesus is the example we should follow, and He wants us to love others. Ask Him to help you love Mrs. Anderson like He does. Then you can set His example to your brothers and encourage them to love her too.” – Corrine Canavan-Fifield
How about you?
What kind of example are you setting for your siblings and friends who are Christians? Think about your actions. Do the things you do and say line up with the things Jesus would do and say? Ask Jesus to help you set His example so you can encourage other Christians to live the way He wants them to. Then you can work together to show others His love!
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