Friends in Christ
Jackson loved soccer. One afternoon, he was playing at recess when he saw a group of boys teasing a new student named Mateo.
Mateo looked sad.
Jackson knew the teasing was wrong.
But he also felt nervous.
What if the boys teased him too?
For a moment, he stayed quiet.
Then he remembered something Father Michael had said at church.
“Jesus tells us not to be afraid. God loves us and watches over us.”
Jackson took a deep breath.
He walked over to Mateo.
“Come play soccer with me,” he said.
The teasing stopped.
Soon, Mateo was laughing and kicking the ball with the other players.
Later that day, one of Jackson’s friends asked, “Weren’t you afraid they would tease you too?”
“A little,” Jackson admitted.
“But I knew it was the right thing to do.”
That evening, Jackson’s family read the Gospel together. Jesus told His disciples not to be afraid because God knows and loves each person.
Even the sparrows matter to God. And people matter even more.
Jackson smiled. He thought about Mateo.
God cared about Mateo. God cared about him too.
The next week, Jackson invited Mateo to sit with him at lunch.
Soon they became friends.
One day Mateo said, “Thanks for helping me when I was new.”
Jackson grinned, “I’m glad you’re here.”
As they walked to class, Jackson felt proud, not because he was brave by himself, but because he trusted God.
He knew that standing up for what was right was one way to show he belonged to Jesus.
Sometimes doing the right thing felt scary.
But God was always with him.
And that made him strong.
Moral: We do not need to be afraid to do what is right because God loves us and is always with us.
Inspired by Matthew 10:26-33.