Hide ‘n’ Peek
WE DON’T HAVE TO WONDER WHAT’S RIGHT OR WRONG; GOD HAS MADE BOTH CLEAR.
Bible Reading of the Day: Read Romans 12:14-16.
Verse of the Day: “All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble’” (1 Peter 5:5, NIV).
“Quick! Hide!” Lindsey pushed Tracy’s head below the shelves of the music and video store and pulled Kara down to the floor by the arm.
“What’s going on?” Kara whispered as she crouched behind the racks of CDs.
“Yeah,” Tracy said in a loud voice, “would you please let go of my head?”
“Shh!” Lindsey said. “Be quiet and stay down.”
“Why?” Tracy said, standing up straight, unconcerned with Lindsey’s warnings.
“Will you please cut it out?” Lindsey hissed, pulling Tracy back down into a crouching position behind the rack. “She’ll see you!”
“Who?” Tracy asked. She popped up again to look over the rack, forcing Lindsey to tackle her by the legs. The two girls hit the floor in a heap, laughing.
“Who are we hiding from?” Kara whispered as her two friends giggled on the floor.
“That’s what I want to know,” Tracy said, her voice still loud.
“Shh!” Lindsey repeated. “Andrea Peters,” she answered at last, nodding toward the entrance to the store, which was hidden from their view. “That weird girl from church.”
“Why are we hiding?” Tracy asked.
“Because,” Lindsey answered, “if she sees us, she’ll come over and talk!” “So?” Tracy said and Kara echoed.
“Come on,” Lindsey whined. “She’s weird. I don’t want to be seen with her.”
Tracy shook her head. “How can you be that way, Lindsey?” she asked.
“How can I …?” Lindsey glared at her friend. “1 just don’t want to hang around with Andrea Peters. There’s nothing wrong with that!”
Tracy glared back. “Yes, there is!” she said. “It’s called being conceited. You think you’re too good for her. Well, maybe you’re too good for her, but I’m not.” Tracy jumped up from the floor, dusted off her jeans, and stomped away.
“Tracy, wait!” Lindsey hissed. She reached out an arm to stop her friend, but Tracy was already out of reach. She and Kara watched as Tracy walked up to Andrea and smiled without looking back at Lindsey and Kara.
Lindsey drew a big breath and sighed. It was too late to say anything to Andrea now, unless she swallowed her pride. She didn’t want to do that, so she and Kara just watched as Tracy and Andrea left the store together.
TO DISCUSS: Was Lindsey right when she said, “I just don’t want to hang around with Andrea Peters. There’s nothing wrong with that”? Why or why not? What does being conceited mean? Do we have to decide whether being conceited is right or wrong? Why or why not?
TO PRAY: “Lord, help us remember that excusing our behavior never makes it right.”