Always Rewarded

“Not fair, Hallie!” Larissa shouted. Hallie laughed as she ran to the base. “Fell for the old ‘Look at that airplane trick,’ didn’t you?!” Hallie teased her friend. Laughing, Larissa caught up to Hallie. “Okay, you win - again,” she admitted. “Let’s go to the neighborhood park,” Larissa suggested. “I’m tired of this game.” “Only because you haven’t won,” Hallie teased. “Yeah, I’ll get you one of these days!” Hallie and Larissa laughed together as they walked to the park. “Uh-oh,” Larissa said quietly. “Don’t look now, but here comes Tyler and his friends.” Tyler was an older boy in their neighborhood who enjoyed picking on younger kids. Hallie and Larissa looked down, hoping Tyler would leave them alone. “Phew, that was close,” Hallie said. “Yeah,” Larissa agreed.

The next day, Hallie and Larissa were in Sunday School, listening to Mr. Fowler. “So,” he began. “Can anyone tell me what compassion is?” After a pause, someone suggested, “Feeling sorry for someone?” “That’s a good suggestion, but keep thinking,” Mr. Fowler encouraged. “Is it pity?” someone else asked. “That’s what a lot of people think compassion is,” Mr. Fowler said. “But compassion is more than ‘pity’ or ‘feeling sorry’ for someone. Compassion is more than a feeling. Amy Carmichael was missionary to India in the early 1900s. During that time, there was a practice in India of selling young girls to the local Hindu temples as, basically, slaves. Now, if Amy Carmichael had just felt sorry for them or pitied them, not much may have come of it. But instead, she rescued many girls from the temples and raised them as her own, giving them a knowledge of Christ and the things of God instead of allowing them to be mistreated by the temple workers. Compassion is choosing to act when you see someone hurting. It can be scary sometimes, because it might call you to stand up to an injustice, to stand up to someone who is mean to others. But God always rewards our obedience, and He will take care of us when we are afraid.”

Later that day, Hallie and Larissa were going to the neighborhood park again. “How would you like to live in India?” Larissa asked. “All those strange foods, those hot summer temperatures...” “I think I like America just fine,” Hallie said. “But I’m sure it would be neat to go to another country and-” “Look, Hallie,” Larissa interrupted me. “It’s Tyler and a couple of his friends - and they’re picking on a little boy.” As they got closer, Hallie and Larissa could hear what Tyler was saying. “I’m gonna play on this basketball court, okay? You can just go play on the baby swings. You’re too little to play with us,” he said, sneering at the smaller kid. “But there are two basketball courts,” the boy protested. “You can play on that one, and I’ll play on this one.” Suddenly, Tyler stepped forward and shoved the boy. “Don’t tell me what to do!” he said. “I told you to go play somewhere else.” Hallie remembered Amy Carmichael, and Mr. Fowler’s words. “Compassion is choosing to act when you see someone hurting. It can be scary sometimes, because it might call you to stand up to an injustice, to stand up to someone who is mean to others. But God always rewards our obedience, and He will take care of us when we are afraid.” Hallie closed her eyes and prayed. Please God, let Tyler just leave. I don’t want to speak up. She opened her eyes. Tyler was still towering over the little boy. “I just want to play basketball,” the boy said. “I’ll leave you guys alone.” This time Tyler looked really angry. He shoved the boy so hard he fell down. “I’ll tell you -” he was interrupted. “Stop it, Tyler!” Hallie shouted as she emerged from their hiding place. “Hallie, what are you -wait-stop!” Larissa couldn’t believe what Hallie was doing. “Leave him alone - he’s not hurting you,” Hallie was standing in front of Tyler now, in between him and the boy lying on the ground. “And what makes you the boss of me,” he asked menacingly. For the first time, Hallie second-guessed herself - what was she doing standing in front of the bully? Quickly, she prayed again: Please help me, Lord. “I’m not your boss,” she told Tyler. “But I am his friend,” she said. “And you can’t just go bossing him around.” Slowly, Tyler backed up from Hallie. “Okay,” he said. “We’ll do it your way. But if he so much as touches our court, he’ll regret it.” Amazed, Hallie watched Tyler and his friends get back on their bikes and leave. “We’ll come back later, guys,” Tyler told his friends. “Wow,” Larissa said quietly. Hallie hadn’t realized that Larissa was standing right next to her while she was talking to Tyler. She smiled at Larissa. “I prayed that God would help me and He did,” she said. “I was praying, too, Hallie Carmichael,” Larissa smiled at her friend as she teased her. Hallie turned around to see the boy had stood up.

“Are you okay?” she asked him. “Yeah, he said. “Thanks.” “No problem,” Hallie answered. “But, why did you say you’re my friend?” he asked. “I’ve never even seen you before.” “Well,” Hallie wondered how she would explain it to him. “God calls me to be a friend to those who need one REFERENCE. It looked like you could use one.” “Yeah, I could,” he agree. “My name’s Hallie,” Hallie extended her hand to him. “And this is my friend Larissa. What’s your name?” “Kyle,” he said as he shook your hand. “I just moved here last week. At my old school, I was on the basketball team, so I was glad there is a court nearby to practice on. Maybe I can get on the team at my new school.” “I hope you do,” Hallie said.

Later that day, as Hallie was getting ready for bed, she thought about her day. Wow. I didn’t know that compassion could be so scary. But thank you, God, for helping me. Mr. Fowler was right. God always rewards our obedience. She thought of Kyle’s relief at being able to practice on the basketball court. She thought of her renewed courage. Yes, she had been rewarded. As she jumped in bed to read, she opened her book: The Story of Amy Carmichael.