The Unexpected Friend

Logan was upset. During recess, his classmate Max had taken the last ball from the bin, leaving Logan and his friends without anything to play with. “That wasn’t fair,” Logan grumbled to his mom on the walk home. “I don’t want to be nice to him anymore.”
His mom smiled gently. “I understand how you feel, Logan, but do you remember what Jesus taught us? He said, ‘Love your enemies and pray for those who treat you unfairly.’”
Logan frowned. “But why should I love someone who isn’t nice to me? That doesn’t make sense.”
His mom knelt down to his level. “It might not make sense right away, but Jesus wants us to love others the way God loves us. God loves everyone—even when they don’t deserve it. Sometimes, love changes people in ways we don’t expect.”
Logan wasn’t sure what to think, but he decided to give it a try.
The next day at recess, Logan saw Max sitting alone, looking frustrated as he tried to tie his shoelaces. Logan hesitated. He remembered how Max had taken the ball yesterday, and part of him wanted to walk away. But then he thought about what his mom said.
Taking a deep breath, Logan walked over. “Hey, Max. Do you need some help?”
Max looked surprised. “Uh… yeah. Thanks.”
Logan knelt down and tied Max’s laces, making them snug but not too tight. When he finished, Max smiled shyly. “Thanks. I’m not very good at tying them yet.”
“It’s okay,” Logan said. “I had trouble too when I was learning.”
For the rest of recess, Max didn’t grab the equipment first or keep it for himself. Instead, he asked Logan if he wanted to play catch.
That evening, Logan told his mom what had happened. “It felt weird to be nice to Max at first,” he admitted, “but after I helped him, he was actually pretty nice back. I think I get what you meant about love changing people.”
His mom hugged him. “You’re learning to love like God loves, Logan—choosing kindness even when it’s hard. That’s how we show others who Jesus is.”
From that day on, Logan and Max became friends. And every time Logan chose love over anger, he felt a little closer to understanding the kind of love Jesus taught.
