Home | Short Stories
Loving Jimmy Monica was in a rush--she had five minutes before Rhonda would be picking her up for cheerleading practice. Anticipating the evening, she quickly applied fresh foundation and eye make-up, and then reached for a raisin shade of lipstick. Just as she began applying it, a human cannonball burst into her room and landed under her vanity. Her right hand jerked and the lipstick went on her cheek instead of her lips “What in the world…?” Monica exclaimed angrily as she bent her head to look under the vanity. “Jimmy! What are you doing? Mom!” she shouted. Seven year old Jimmy had a guilty smirk on his impudent little face as he grinned up at his sister. It was obvious to Monica that he was trying to get her goat. “Jimmy! I’m in an awful hurry. Now get out of here and leave me alone.” Jimmy slowly and sulkily crawled out from under the table and slinked out of the room, his expression saying that his sister had no sense of humor. Angrily, Monica rubbed the lipstick mark off and finished getting ready. She hurried down to meet Rhonda, no longer looking forward to the evening, but feeling guilty for being mean to her little brother. “What’s the matter with you?” Rhonda asked as soon as she saw the expression on Monica’s face. “I’ll bet it’s Jimmy again. What’d he do this time?” Still scowling, Monica answered, “Aw, he darted under my vanity just as I was going to put my lipstick on. It startled me and I made a red mark up my cheek. I scolded him and told him to get out and now I feel like a meany. I hate to feel mean. It’s really hard… Jesus wants me to love Jimmy, but I always seem to be growling at him. What can I do?” Throwing her hands up in defeat and helplessness, she looked pleadingly at Rhonda for an answer. “I don’t know, Monica. You asked me that before and I told you you need to pray about it until God shows you what to do.” Knowing that Monica wouldn’t like her answer, Rhonda cast her a sheepish smile. “I know you’re right and I have prayed, but I can’t get past what he does. I’ve tried hard to be nice to Jimmy. You know how much I want to please Jesus. I meant it when I told God two years ago that I wanted Jesus to be my Lord and Savior. I am acutely aware that God is offering us a wonderful Father/child relationship with himself, but that we must do our part in order for him to be able to do his part. (II Corinthians 6:17,18 ) I know too that to have a close personal relationship with Almighty God is a great privilege and advantage. I’m not about to get lax at this point, but Jimmy’s always doing something to upset me. Just last week he got into my homework and between him and our German Shepherd, Snoozer my report was ruined--some of the pages got wrinkled, some soiled and one was even torn. What about what happened Saturday night when I was all set to go to the mall with Lisa and Shane. Dad made me take him along. He wouldn’t stay with us. He was always either running on ahead or lagging behind.” Flailing her arms and raising her voice, Monica continued her indictment against her brother. “He picked things up and played with them, made funny noises and taunted Shane--it was awful.” She threw her hands up in frustration again. “One time last year, he even put a night crawler in my bed. This stuff has been happening ever since he could walk and talk.” Monica looked hard at Rhonda and then blinked. Giving Monica a sympathetic look, Rhonda said, “I know, Monica. I never meant to imply that it should be easy to love Jimmy, but Jesus said, He is the way. He told you to love Jimmy and He will help you do it. You have to have faith.” Monica looked upset again. “I didn’t ask for a sermon, Rhonda. I just wanted someone to tell me how to love Jimmy.” “Sorry, Monica, but I answered you the best way I know how. I’ll not take any of it back.” That night Monica had a long talk with God before she got into bed. She pleaded with Him to show her how to love Jimmy. For six weeks she went through numerous tests and trials where Jimmy was concerned, and then the breakthrough came. On a beautiful late fall day, Monica, Jimmy, and their mom were in the backyard. Monica and her mom were raking up leaves. Jimmy threw a basketball at Snoozer. It missed and hit Monica on the back of the head. The impact stunned her for a few seconds and she saw stars. As soon as she realized what happened, she became boiling mad. Since her determined talk with God, whenever Jimmy upset her, Monica would look to Jesus for help before doing anything. Sometimes it worked and sometimes her anger prevailed. This was one of the latter times. Her color heightening, she held the back of her head and screamed, “Jimmy! You are so stupid. I hate you!” With that, she stomped into the house, and headed straight for her room. There, she collapsed on the bed. Though she was hit in the head, that’s not what was hurting---it was her heart that hurt. She knew she had blown it big time. “I’m so sorry, Father. I didn’t mean it. I don’t hate Jimmy. He just makes me mad.” A feeling of defeat engulfed her. Overwhelmed, she dropped her head into her hands and cried softly. In the middle of her pity party a scripture came to mind-- “If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, ‘I repent,’ forgive him.” Luke 17:4 She was comforted, knowing that God never asks us to do what He doesn’t do Himself. Therefore she knew that He would forgive her when she said bad things to Jimmy and then was sorry and told Him so. “Thank you, Father, but please tell me how to love Jimmy. She thought about the verse again and noticed the part where it said, “comes back and says, ‘I repent’” She stopped her writhing and looked astonished as she realized what she had to do--she had to ask Jimmy to forgive her. The thought made the blood drain out of her face. Slowly she got up and took one reluctant step after another out through the living room, kitchen and back door. As she called Jimmy, her voice squeaked. “Ah…Jimmy could you come here for a minute?” Jimmy hadn’t seen her come back outside. He jerked around to look at her, hurt and fear showing on his face. “What do you want?” “I just want to apologize for my behavior a while ago, Jimmy.” Her eyes pleaded for understanding and forgiveness. She started toward him saying, “I shouldn’t have talked to you like that and I don’t hate you either. I get upset with you, but I don’t hate you.” Kneeling to his level, she softly asked, “Jimmy, will you please forgive me for what I said.” Obstinately, Jimmy retorted, “Aw, what’s it matter? I always make you mad.” A softness toward Jimmy stole into Monica’s heart. “Jimmy, I’m sorry. I love you. Come and give me a hug. I’ll try to do better, okay?” Her tone and expression astonished Jimmy. He took a step closer. Looking incredulous, he asked, “You do? You love me?” Monica nodded, holding out her arms. Jimmy hesitated, and then walked into them. She hugged him tight and he hugged her. Later, back in her room, Monica very gratefully thanked the Lord. “Thank you ever so much, Lord, Father. Thank you. Thank you. I’m going to try even harder, Father. Please show me how to love Jimmy.” The answer came. “You just did love Jimmy.” “Yeah, but I want to love him all the time.” “That’ll come in time. For now, the way to love Jimmy is to keep you temper and when you lose it, ask his forgiveness.” “Really! That’s it?” “That’s it. It works, you’ll see. Walk in love my child. © Sylvia Huffnagle
Article Source: http://christian-topics.info
Christian teaching from Bible and Sunday school.
Please Rate this Article
5 out of 54 out of 53 out of 52 out of 51 out of 5
Not yet Rated
