Opportunity Knocks

Tuesday, August 6, 2019

A SPIRIT OF REVENGE WILL JUSTIFY WHAT A SPIRIT OF LOVE WILL RECOGNIZE AS WRONG.

Bible Reading of the Day: Read Leviticus 19:16-18.

Verse of the Day: “Don’t say, ‘I will get even for this wrong.’ Wait for the Lord to handle the matter” (Proverbs 20:22).

Monica turned to her mother and screamed. “Stop the car!”

Mrs. Jackson slammed her foot on the brakes, watching in the rearview mirror as a rusty brown pickup truck stopped just in time to avoid a collision. She turned to her daughter, who sat beside her in the front seat.

“What’s wrong?” Mrs. Jackson expected Monica to say they had almost run over an animal, but Monica pressed her face against the window and pointed at the line outside the movie theater.

“That’s Jimmy,” she whispered, “in line with Susan Brock.”

Mrs. Jackson’s eyes widened. “You mean I almost had an accident because you saw some old boyfriend going to the movies with someone else?”

Monica rolled her eyes without turning to face her mother. She just didn’t understand. Jimmy wasn’t just “some old boyfriend.” It had been months now since her former friend, Gina Price, had broken them up and stolen Jimmy away. Jimmy and Gina had been going together ever since. And now he was in line at the movies with pretty Susan Brock.

“Monica Jackson!” Her mother was still stewing over their near accident. “Don’t ever do that to me again. Do you hear me?”

“Yeah, Mom,” Monica muttered, still watching Jimmy and Susan. “I’m sorry.”

Jimmy, who was ahead of Susan in line, had turned away from her and was now talking with Nate and Alex, two of his closest buddies. As her mom began to pull the car back into traffic, Monica saw that Jimmy was there with his friends, and Susan was accompanied by her parents. They weren’t there together at all.

Too bad, she thought as she turned around and settled back into the seat. Then Gina would know how it feels to have someone steal your boyfriend.

An idea began to form in her head. After all, she did see Jimmy at the movies with Susan. She wouldn’t be lying if she told her former friend what she saw. And if Gina assumed that Jimmy was going out on her . . . Monica smiled. It was a golden opportunity. Besides, she needs to know how much she hurt me. Then maybe she’d think twice before doing it again.

TO DISCUSS: Monica is not planning to lie to her “former friend.” She’s simply planning to tell Gina what she saw—that Jimmy and Susan were standing in line together at the movies. Are Monica’s plans wrong or right? Explain.

TO

PRAY: “Lord, help us recognize unloving attitudes when they arise in our heart and mind. And please help us choose to act in love toward others.”