The Picnic
Lucy and her mother were packing a lunch for the church’s annual fall picnic. Lucy
was excited, because she would get to see all of her friends, and there was going to be
a hayride, she loved hayrides. Lucy grabbed a few quilts from the hall closet, and returned
to the kitchen. Her mother was on the telephone. A few moments later, she hung the phone back on the wall. She asked Lucy to grab the Ham and turkey from the refrigerator. Lucy was confused. She asked her mother why they needed to make more food. Her mother explained that they were having guests join them for the picnic; they needed to make more
sandwiches. Lucy asked her mother who the guests were, but her mother did not answer her, she only said that it was a surprise.
After everything was loaded into the car, Lucy and her mother pulled out of the driveway. Instead of turning in the direction of the church, they headed down a familiar gravel road. Lucy’s heart sank into her chest. They were going to the Martin’s house, the poorest family
in town. Emily and Sally Martin were in Lucy’s grade at school. Everybody made fun of them because their clothes were dirty and they smelled funny.Lucy asked her mother why she had
invited the Martins to go to the church picnic with them. Her friends at church would make fun of her if she sat with them. Her mother stopped the car just before reaching the top of the hill where the Martin’s old farmhouse sat. She looked into Lucy’s eyes and quoted the verse:
Proverbs 14:21
He that despiseth his neighbor sinneth: but he that hath mercy on the
poor, happy is he.
She explained to Lucy that very long ago, she was the poor girl in school that nobody wanted to be friends with. Her clothes were dirty and she did not always smell good. A nice lady came to her house one day and invited her to church. She went with that lady to church every Sunday for the next ten years. She was saved and eventually met Lucy’s father in the church’s youth group. Lucy hugged her mother. She had been saved for a few months, and felt terrible for the way she had acted. Lucy rode in the backseat with Sally and Emily. They were dressed in their nicest clothes; she told them they both looked very nice.
When they arrived at the picnic, Lucy’s friends gave her funny looks and refused to talk to her. Lucy was not upset though. She sat next to Sally and Emily and they giggled over their hamand turkey sandwiches and playfully fought over the last brownie bite. When it came time for the hayride, the three girls piled into the back and they had so much fun, they rode two more times. It had been a great day. Lucy had two new best friends. It did not even bother her that the other kids at school were going to talk about her the next day. Sally and Emily were funny and she liked to be around them...Emily was also a good artist...she promised to teach Lucy how to draw a portrait of her cat.
That night before she fell asleep, she lay on the couch with her mother, thinking about the Bible verse her mother had shared with her earlier that day. Lucy asked her mother if she was happy. Her mother nodded her head yes and kissed her on the forehead.
The Moral of the story…Unleashed:
Proverbs 14:21 He that despiseth his neighbor sinneth: but he that hath mercy on the poor, happy is he.
God has commanded us to love our neighbor; we are not supposed to treat others
badly. We are to be kind to the poor, people who do not have as much as us, and
those who are poor in spirit. We are all God’s children and God made us equal.
How can we tell others of God’s love for them if we do not show them love?
was excited, because she would get to see all of her friends, and there was going to be
a hayride, she loved hayrides. Lucy grabbed a few quilts from the hall closet, and returned
to the kitchen. Her mother was on the telephone. A few moments later, she hung the phone back on the wall. She asked Lucy to grab the Ham and turkey from the refrigerator. Lucy was confused. She asked her mother why they needed to make more food. Her mother explained that they were having guests join them for the picnic; they needed to make more
sandwiches. Lucy asked her mother who the guests were, but her mother did not answer her, she only said that it was a surprise.
After everything was loaded into the car, Lucy and her mother pulled out of the driveway. Instead of turning in the direction of the church, they headed down a familiar gravel road. Lucy’s heart sank into her chest. They were going to the Martin’s house, the poorest family
in town. Emily and Sally Martin were in Lucy’s grade at school. Everybody made fun of them because their clothes were dirty and they smelled funny.Lucy asked her mother why she had
invited the Martins to go to the church picnic with them. Her friends at church would make fun of her if she sat with them. Her mother stopped the car just before reaching the top of the hill where the Martin’s old farmhouse sat. She looked into Lucy’s eyes and quoted the verse:
Proverbs 14:21
He that despiseth his neighbor sinneth: but he that hath mercy on the
poor, happy is he.
She explained to Lucy that very long ago, she was the poor girl in school that nobody wanted to be friends with. Her clothes were dirty and she did not always smell good. A nice lady came to her house one day and invited her to church. She went with that lady to church every Sunday for the next ten years. She was saved and eventually met Lucy’s father in the church’s youth group. Lucy hugged her mother. She had been saved for a few months, and felt terrible for the way she had acted. Lucy rode in the backseat with Sally and Emily. They were dressed in their nicest clothes; she told them they both looked very nice.
When they arrived at the picnic, Lucy’s friends gave her funny looks and refused to talk to her. Lucy was not upset though. She sat next to Sally and Emily and they giggled over their hamand turkey sandwiches and playfully fought over the last brownie bite. When it came time for the hayride, the three girls piled into the back and they had so much fun, they rode two more times. It had been a great day. Lucy had two new best friends. It did not even bother her that the other kids at school were going to talk about her the next day. Sally and Emily were funny and she liked to be around them...Emily was also a good artist...she promised to teach Lucy how to draw a portrait of her cat.
That night before she fell asleep, she lay on the couch with her mother, thinking about the Bible verse her mother had shared with her earlier that day. Lucy asked her mother if she was happy. Her mother nodded her head yes and kissed her on the forehead.
The Moral of the story…Unleashed:
Proverbs 14:21 He that despiseth his neighbor sinneth: but he that hath mercy on the poor, happy is he.
God has commanded us to love our neighbor; we are not supposed to treat others
badly. We are to be kind to the poor, people who do not have as much as us, and
those who are poor in spirit. We are all God’s children and God made us equal.
How can we tell others of God’s love for them if we do not show them love?