The New Girl
It is Maddy’s first day of school. Her family had moved to Camden a week before, and
she was nervous about starting the fifth grade at a new school. Maddy’s older brother,
Simon, was excited about being the new kid in school; he stayed up half the night trying
to find the perfect shirt to wear on his first day. They waited at the end of the driveway for what seemed like an hour before they saw the big yellow bus coming their way. It screeched to a stop a few feet away from where Simon stood. When the doors opened, he ran up the steps and took a seat in the back of the bus. Maddy slowly climbed the steps and stood at the front of the bus. All the kids were staring at her, and she eyed an empty seat a few rows from the front. She was short for her age, and a lot shyer than her brother was. She sat against the stiff seat and watched as they passed rows and rows of corn. She reached for her necklace. It was silver with a cross pendant. Her grandmother had given it to her after she had gotten saved; she wore it every day. The bus slowed to a stop and the doors opened. Everyone on the bus was silent as a tall girl with dark hair stood in the isle next to where Maddy was sitting. Maddy looked over at the girl, her eyes wide.
“Hey shrimp you are in my seat!” The girl snapped.
Maddy looked around, there was a boy sitting by himself a few rows behind her. She
jumped up and dropped her book bag on the floor; pencils and glue sticks rolled in every direction; the other kids busted out in laughter. She grabbed her open bag and ran to the back. As it turned out the tall girl on the bus was in Maddy’s homeroom. She sat across the aisle from Maddy and laughed when Maddy read aloud. During lunch, the girl and a large group of friends taunted Maddy because of her cross necklace. By day’s end, everyone was calling her Holy girl.
After school, Maddy decided to walk home; she didn’t want to get made fun of on the
bus. She started to sniffle and then she began to cry. Her first day of school was awful;
she didn’t want to go back the next day. When she got home, her Grandmother was in the kitchen baking peanut butter cookies. There was a plate of crumbs on the table; Simon must have eaten the first batch. Maddy dropped her book bag on the table and plopped down in a kitchen chair. Her eyes were red from where she had been crying.
“What’s the matter dear?” Her grandmother asked as she handed her a glass of milk.
Maddy began to cry again, but this time the tears were bigger and she could barely catch her
breath.When she finished sobbing, she told her grandmother the whole story. Her grandmother was quiet for a long while, and then grabbed Maddy’s hands.
“Are you ashamed of God?” She asked.
“No.” Maddy said softly.
She explained how many years ago, when she was a nurse in the army, the other women gave her a hard time because she refused to go out dancing with them. Every time she started to feel defeated, she quoted Psalm 3:3.
Psalm 3:3
But though, O Lord, art a shield for me, my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.
She told Maddy these words had helped her through many rough times, and God had given her the strength to witness to the very same women that made fun of her.
The next morning, Maddy awoke early; she even beat Simon to the bus stop. When the bus came, she confidently walked up the steps and took a seat across from where she had sat the day before. When the tall girl got on the bus, she plopped down in her seat and glanced over at Maddy.
“Hey Holy girl!”
Maddy closed her eyes and gripped the cross. She looked over at the girl and smiled.
“My name’s Maddy and I love Jesus so it doesn’t bother me if you call me Holy girl.”
The Moral of the story…Unleashed:
Psalm 3:3
But though, O Lord, art a shield for me, my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.
When others seek to hurt us we can put our trust in Christ because He is our protector, our shield...He is the one who gives us the courage to stand for Him, even when we seem to be standing alone.
she was nervous about starting the fifth grade at a new school. Maddy’s older brother,
Simon, was excited about being the new kid in school; he stayed up half the night trying
to find the perfect shirt to wear on his first day. They waited at the end of the driveway for what seemed like an hour before they saw the big yellow bus coming their way. It screeched to a stop a few feet away from where Simon stood. When the doors opened, he ran up the steps and took a seat in the back of the bus. Maddy slowly climbed the steps and stood at the front of the bus. All the kids were staring at her, and she eyed an empty seat a few rows from the front. She was short for her age, and a lot shyer than her brother was. She sat against the stiff seat and watched as they passed rows and rows of corn. She reached for her necklace. It was silver with a cross pendant. Her grandmother had given it to her after she had gotten saved; she wore it every day. The bus slowed to a stop and the doors opened. Everyone on the bus was silent as a tall girl with dark hair stood in the isle next to where Maddy was sitting. Maddy looked over at the girl, her eyes wide.
“Hey shrimp you are in my seat!” The girl snapped.
Maddy looked around, there was a boy sitting by himself a few rows behind her. She
jumped up and dropped her book bag on the floor; pencils and glue sticks rolled in every direction; the other kids busted out in laughter. She grabbed her open bag and ran to the back. As it turned out the tall girl on the bus was in Maddy’s homeroom. She sat across the aisle from Maddy and laughed when Maddy read aloud. During lunch, the girl and a large group of friends taunted Maddy because of her cross necklace. By day’s end, everyone was calling her Holy girl.
After school, Maddy decided to walk home; she didn’t want to get made fun of on the
bus. She started to sniffle and then she began to cry. Her first day of school was awful;
she didn’t want to go back the next day. When she got home, her Grandmother was in the kitchen baking peanut butter cookies. There was a plate of crumbs on the table; Simon must have eaten the first batch. Maddy dropped her book bag on the table and plopped down in a kitchen chair. Her eyes were red from where she had been crying.
“What’s the matter dear?” Her grandmother asked as she handed her a glass of milk.
Maddy began to cry again, but this time the tears were bigger and she could barely catch her
breath.When she finished sobbing, she told her grandmother the whole story. Her grandmother was quiet for a long while, and then grabbed Maddy’s hands.
“Are you ashamed of God?” She asked.
“No.” Maddy said softly.
She explained how many years ago, when she was a nurse in the army, the other women gave her a hard time because she refused to go out dancing with them. Every time she started to feel defeated, she quoted Psalm 3:3.
Psalm 3:3
But though, O Lord, art a shield for me, my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.
She told Maddy these words had helped her through many rough times, and God had given her the strength to witness to the very same women that made fun of her.
The next morning, Maddy awoke early; she even beat Simon to the bus stop. When the bus came, she confidently walked up the steps and took a seat across from where she had sat the day before. When the tall girl got on the bus, she plopped down in her seat and glanced over at Maddy.
“Hey Holy girl!”
Maddy closed her eyes and gripped the cross. She looked over at the girl and smiled.
“My name’s Maddy and I love Jesus so it doesn’t bother me if you call me Holy girl.”
The Moral of the story…Unleashed:
Psalm 3:3
But though, O Lord, art a shield for me, my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.
When others seek to hurt us we can put our trust in Christ because He is our protector, our shield...He is the one who gives us the courage to stand for Him, even when we seem to be standing alone.