God Works In Mysterious Ways!
    

Matthew walked through a beautiful forest nearby the neighbourhood where he lived.

It was Saturday so a day he did not have school. By the force of habit, he woke up very early and felt like walking. So he had breakfast and left.

Walking through the woods, Matthew breathed in the fresh air and looked up to the sky which he could see in the midst of the great trees.

Birds sang and every now and then he saw a little animal cross the path and escape through the vegetation.

A great frog croaked on the banks of a stream.

Suddenly, Matthew saw a trap to catch birds with a poor bird already tired of fighting and almost fainting struggling to escape.

Feeling sorry for the bird, the boy knelt down and with a lot of care released it.
Right then, Matthew realised that a boy about his age was coming towards him. He had arrived just in time to see what Matthew had done and he was furious.

- Who told you to mess with my trap?

- I am sorry. I felt pity for the bird! - Matthew explained.

- Now you'll see what I do with whoever messes with me!
 

- What happened, honey?

- It’s nothing, Mom. I freed a bird from a trap and the owner was very angry with me. Do you think I did something wrong?

Gazing at him with affection, his mother wrapped him in a hug:

- No, sweetheart. You acted right. It's cowardly to use traps to pick up defenceless animals.

- But the boy said it was his trap!

- Yes, Matthew, but all living creatures belong to God! Someday, this kid will realise he has done wrong as he develops an awareness that we must protect the weak. Now, go take a shower so I can put dressings on your injuries. Then we will have lunch.

A week later, someone knocked on the door and Matthew opened it.

It was the owner of the trap!

- You?... What do you want?

Awkwardly, the boy said:

- Just talk.

Matthew's mother approached, noticing her son's scare, and listened to them.

- You must be his mother, aren’t you?

- Yes, my name is Ana.

- I’m Gustavo, Dona1 Ana. I was the one who hit your son last week. You must have been very angry with me. I apologise to your son and to you.

- Of course I did not like what you have done. However, I am happy with Matthew’s attitude to defend a helpless bird and release it. My son suffered but he knows he was doing the right thing.

Gustavo nodded, then explained:
 

- I think so too today. That day, when I got home and told my mother what I had done, she looked at me very seriously and said that I did wrong, and that, even though I only intended to bring home food in order to improve our meal, I did not act properly. Then my mother took me to see a nest nearby, where a bird was bringing food to its babies, while they opened their little mouths waiting to be fed. Gustavo stopped talking for a moment,

then went on:

- I had never stopped to think about it. That is, that somewhere babies could get hungry because I had killed their father or mother. Can you forgive me, Matthew?

- Of course!

And, leaning forward, he gave his new friend a tight hug.

Matthew’s mother was moved and understood the situation of poverty of that family, so she decided to help them. Gently, she invited Gustavo to have lunch with them and then they talked for hours. That way, she learned that Gustavo's father was unemployed.

She had an idea and said:

- Well, what a coincidence! We have a small clothes factory and a shop. My husband is looking for someone to work in the store. Bring your father over here tomorrow, Gustavo.

- My father will be very pleased, Dona Ana. Thank you! I'll bring him here early tomorrow!

Gustavo's father was hired to work in the store and his mother as a seamstress in the clothes factory.

And gradually, everything was getting better. The boys became great friends and Gustavo thanked God for finding Matthew that day. From a negative experience, how much knowledge and positive things had developed! Which led Gustavo to affirm, remembering the episode:

God works in mysterious ways!
 

MEIMEI

(Psychographed by Celia Xavier de Camargo on 09/09/2010.)


1) In Brazilian society, Dona is a term of respect that is used with the woman’s first name.