by Marcia Sanders
David raced home and began to clean his room. An hour later, it looked like a different place. All books, games, and toys were in their places. Dirty clothes were now in the laundry basket, and clean clothes were laying neatly folded in their drawers. The bed was made, and the desk was cleared of its clutter. After looking around to make sure that the room would meet Mom’s approval, David headed downstairs.
No one else was home yet, so David grabbed the vacuum and cleaned all the carpet. Next, he found a cleaning rag and began to wipe down the surfaces. As he was finishing, he heard Mom’s car in the driveway.
Sighing with apprehension, he went to the door and called, “Do you need help carrying anything in?”
Mom smiled. “Sure. Come grab some of these groceries.” She appreciated the help.
As Mom walked into the freshly cleaned house, her suspicions began to rise. Out of curiosity, she peeked into his room and was surprised to see everything in its place.
“Is there something you need to tell me?” she asked.
“Uh, maybe,” David responded.
“So . . . ?” Mom eyed him pointedly.
“Well, you know how you told me to invite that new kid, Jake, over this afternoon?” David began. Mom nodded.
“Well, I got to thinking about how uncomfortable it would be to spend time with someone I didn’t know, so I didn’t invite him. I mean, he’s kinda weird, and the other kids make fun of him. I figured if they found out that I invited Jake over, they’d make fun of me too. So I thought maybe if I did some extra chores, that it would make up for not doing what you had asked — kind of balance it out.”
“I do appreciate the clean room, floors, and furniture,” Mom began.
“I hear a ‘but’ coming,” David lamented.
“But I appreciate both obedience and kindness more. Think about it. Can you imagine how lonely Jake is? He’s in a new town and a new school and knows no one. You, on the other hand, have lived here your entire life and have lots of friends. Do you honestly think your friends would turn on you that easily?”
David looked at the floor. “I guess not.”
Mom smiled. “It reminds me of what Jesus told His disciples in Matthew 9:13, and again in chapter 12: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ I want to raise a son who thinks more of others than of himself — one who is more concerned with obeying God than making himself comfortable. Does that make sense?” “Yes. I didn’t really think about what Jake was going through, being new and all. If I were new to this area, I’d hope he’d try to be a friend. I’ll walk down to his house now and see if he can come shoot some baskets.”
