Echoes

On a Saturday morning hike, Jude and his father came to the entrance of a tunnel that went under a road. "Hello in there!" Jude called out. "Hello!""Hello…" came the sound of an echo. "Hello…"Jude grinned. "I'm Jude!" he shouted. "Jude!""Jude…Jude…" his voice echoed back.Soon they were through the tunnel and heading across the next open field. "Hello there!" yelled Jude once again, but there was no answering echo. Jude laughed. "I knew there wouldn't be an echo out here. I just thought I'd try it anyway.""When sound waves hit the hard walls of the tunnel, they bounce back as an echo," Dad explained. "Out here in this open space, there aren't any obstacles like that, so the sound keeps going."After a good hike, Jude and Dad headed home. "I hope Izzy and Ella are gone somewhere by the time we get home," Jude told his dad. "They're so annoying.""Well, your sisters have some complaints about you too--they say you pick on them all the time," replied Dad. "I think all of you should work on getting along with each other.""Oh, come on, Dad," said Jude. "You know what a pain sisters can be. You had three of them!""Yes," said Dad, "and they were a pain at times, but I'm sure they'd tell you how much of a pain I could be too. Besides, God tells us to love others and live in peace with them. That includes sisters.""I've heard that before," said Jude. "All the time, it seems--home, church, Bible club. Everyone's always telling me to love others and be kind.""That's because, as Christians, it's important for us to show others the love God has shown us." Dad looked at Jude thoughtfully. "Remember how everything you said in the tunnel echoed back to you? Well, as God's children, our words and actions should echo His. The Bible tells us what God is like and how He sent His own Son to die for us so we could be freed from sin. God showed His perfect love to us through Jesus, and He empowers us to be echoes of that love. Trust Him to help you echo the love of Jesus in your relationships with others--including your sisters." –Nance E. Keyes