A Reading Lesson

Bible Reading: 2 Corinthians 3:1-5; Galatians 5:22-26

Nova stared at the rain out the window while her brother Silas thumbed through a magazine. "There's nothing to do!" Nova said.

"Why don't you come help me with this picture album," said Mom. "Since you know most of the people in the pictures, you might enjoy it." So Nova and Silas joined Mom at the table. "By the way, have you learned your memory verses for church yet?" Mom asked as she got out more pictures.

"I did. Want to hear it?" asked Nova. She recited it. "You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone."

"But we're people, not letters," said Silas. "How can anybody read us?"

"I don't know, but--oh, look!" exclaimed Nova. "Here's a picture of Silas when he was really little. He's wearing big sunglasses. He looks so funny!"

Silas grinned. "You think that's funny? Well, look at yourself in this one." He held up another picture. "You have a giant bow on your head!" They both laughed.

"Here's Dad's aunt from Ohio," said Nova, picking up a picture taken at a family reunion. "She looks mad. Do you remember her?"

"Sure do," said Silas. "She was grumpy and complained about everything!" He pointed to a picture of a tall man. "I remember this guy too. He brought a croquet set to the reunion and taught all us kids how to play. He was a lot of fun!"

"That's Great-Grandma Rita standing next to him," said Nova. "Just by looking at her, you can tell she's really nice. She's always smiling."

"I notice you're both reading people," observed Mom. "You read one of the people at the reunion as grumpy, one as fun, and another as nice."

"Oh, I get it!" Nova said. "To read people means to get impressions about them by the way they act. We learn something about them by seeing and watching them."

"And they get impressions of us by the way we act," added Silas.

Mom nodded. "And that's why we need to depend on the Holy Spirit, who is shaping us to be more like Jesus. Let's trust Him to help us display the fruit of the Spirit--things like goodness, patience, and love--so that others can read that we belong to Jesus."

-Geri Walcott