"Precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little and there a little." Isaiah 28:10
"Precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little and there a little." Isaiah 28:10
(Testimony written by the daughter, aged 12)
It was Monday morning recess. Out of the corner of my eye I saw one of my friends chatting to a boy in our class who was not always nice. Another friend noticed where I was looking and dragged me into the bathroom. She explained that this boy was going to ask me out and humiliate me. It was all because the first girl was under the impression that I told a secret to lots of people and she wanted to get back at me. I asked my friend how she knew. She admitted that the whole planning had happened on Facebook. I was devastated.
When the boy did ask me out in the lunch queue, I looked him in the eye and said “No.” Then I turned to the onlookers and said specifically to the girl that planned the joke I knew it was a joke and I didn’t tell any secrets. The girl shrugged, then buried herself in the crowd. I wanted to talk to her, but others in my class, afraid that I might get really angry, held me back.
When I got home I told my mom what happened. I was distraught. I couldn’t understand why this girl had done this to me. Also, I couldn’t understand why the girl who I knew had told the secret did not speak up.
As we talked about this, my mom read some passages to me from Miscellaneous Writings by Mary Baker Eddy. Part of it said, “To punish ourselves for each others’ faults is superlative folly. The mental arrow shot from another’s bow is practically harmless, unless our own thought barbs it.” It goes on to say, “Well may we feel wounded by our own faults; but we can hardly afford to be miserable for the faults of others” (p. 223, 224).
I felt better and ready to listen to God. I asked my mom a question: “So I can’t feel hurt for someone else’s problems? That’s really their problem, not mine, isn’t it?” Suddenly, like a thought from an angel, a passage that I’d never thought seriously about before came to me: “You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.” This is something Jesus said in the Bible (see John 8:32). The truth was that everyone was a child of God and that God was always guiding me and everyone in the right way. I knew that second that the way forward was to know this truth because it would make the situation fine and it would really clear up everything.
Just as the words were going across my mind, my pocket started vibrating. I pulled out my phone. “1 new message received” was what it said on the screen. I read the message: “I’m so sorry … Please forgive me!” It was from the girl. I knew then that the thought from God had made me free of evil. And God had made her free, too. I was ready to be friends with her again. I called her back. We had a long chat and it was as though the whole thing never had happened.
When I saw the girl who told the secret, but hadn’t spoken up, I treated her like a friend. Interestingly, none of us have talked about this again. We all became friends again and it was like nothing had happened.
Listening to angel messages from God can help you too!