An Honest Answer

Cora grabbed her backpack and lunch box and scurried out the door. Climbing aboard the bus, she thought about the bag of potato chips her mom had packed for her. They were her favorite snack for morning recess. When math ended, Cora grabbed her chips and traipsed out to the playground. She and her friend Emmalyn found an empty pair of swings, where they sat chatting and laughing. A moment later, another girl walked up, followed by three boys from their class who always tagged along. With a flounce of her hair, Jenna marched up to Cora. "Give me some chips," she demanded. Cora thought about how Jenna normally ignored her unless she had something Jenna wanted. She didn't like the way Jenna insisted on having some of her snack. "No," Cora replied firmly. Jenna pouted. "Meanie!" she yelled, stomping away. The boys followed. Later that day, Cora mentioned it to Mom while they were washing dishes. "Do you think I did the right thing?" Cora asked. She wondered if she had been mean, just as Jenna had accused her of acting. "Well, we know God wants us to give to others in need. But it doesn't sound like Jenna was needy. It sounds like she was demanding you give her something she wanted." Mom handed over a dish towel. "Cora, you know that as God's children, we should show His love to others." "Yes, Mom, I know. But I'm not sure if I did what God wanted today with Jenna." "Jesus gives us guidance in the Bible on how we should answer others and keep our word," said Mom. "He tells us to let our 'yes' mean 'yes' and our 'no' mean 'no.'" "So, we should be honest when we answer?" Cora asked. "Right. God gives us the freedom to say no. When we needed Him to save us from sin, He showed us His love by answering yes and sending us Jesus. But that doesn't mean Jesus always gives people everything they want, and we don't have to either. Sometimes giving an honest answer of no is the best thing to do." Cora nodded. "Next time I bring chips for recess, I might share with Jenna. But if I say yes, I promise I'll really mean it." -Allison Wilson Lee