The Godly Gazette (How Kindness Helped)

How Kindness Helped

Miss Miller had just started a job as a schoolteacher in a small country school. Her mother had died when she was a little girl, and her father had died just a few weeks before starting her job. This was her first teaching job, and she felt a bit nervous and scared. She prayed for help and asked God to give her strength and patience.

Bob was considered the worst behaved boy in town. He was an orphan, and lived with a family who seemed to value him only for the work he did for them. He was rude and into all kinds of mischief.

The first day of school did not go very well. Bob was loud and uncooperative. He ignored Miss Miller when she asked him to do an assignment, and was disrespectful. Miss Miller did not know what to do, or how to make Bob listen to her. She bowed her head and asked God for His almighty help.

When school was over, she asked Bob to help her clean up. Suprisingly, he stayed to help. It did not take long, and they were soon on their way home. As they walked together, Miss Miller tried to think of something to talk about.

"Do you have any brothers or sisters, Bob?" she asked.

This touched on a very tender spot on Bob's heart. "I had a sister once," he answered softly. "Little Mary. She was my only sister. I used to take care of her and play with her. I used to take her for rides in a wagon I made for her. She loved me more than anyone else ever did. She used to run to meet me when I came home." He paused, then added softly, "but now she's dead, and nobody cares about me anymore. Her grave is right over there next to the hill in the cemetery."

"Would you like to show me her grave, Bob?" asked Miss Miller gently.

Bob looked up in suprise. "Do you really want me to?"

"Yes Bob, I do. My mother died when I was a little girl, and my father died just a few weeks ago."

They walked on slowly, talking about little Mary. They reached the grave, and sat down on the grass nearby. Bob had been wiping away the tears as they trickled down his cheek, but as they sat down he began sobbing. "She's dead, Miss Miller, and nobody cares about me anymore!"

"I care Bob," she said, putting her hand on his shoulder.

Then she spoke to him about the Lord Jesus, who is the friend of the fatherless, and of His love for children. She spoke of her own lonliness, and how the Lord was her dearest companion. She confessed that teaching school was difficult, and that she would need the Lord's help.

Bob looked at her. "Miss Miller, I'll help you. I'll do whatever I can to help you. I'm sorry for being rude today."

"Thank you, Bob," answered Miss Miller.

And so it was. Bob helped Miss Miller, and when the other children saw that Bob was so kind and helpful and obedient, they followed his example. The children grew to love their teacher, and learned lessons not only from their book, but from the Bible and from the devotion seen in their beloved teacher.

Adapted from The Biblical Counsellor - Vol. 6 No. 6

The Word for Thought

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