Day Out Jealousy

That day, for some reason, some of the children in the classroom were very unhappy and irritated about life, and always thinking the worst. In fact, the students from another more advanced class had planned to take a trip and were all very pleased. They had brought snacks and were going on a bus ride with their teacher.

When they saw those students entering the bus, looking happy and smiling, the children became very displeased.

Their teacher, noticing the class’s bad mood, tried to improve the spirit of each one by saying:

- Do not be sad! Today it's your friends who will have a day out but soon it will be you who can be doing what they are doing today, going out and learning more when visiting a museum, an event or some beautiful park to play at will!

But the students were really annoyed with the joy of their older friends. The teacher, seeing the unhappy class, asked:

- Do you all think the same way? What if the trip they are taking today is not so good or so interesting? Are you going to be happy? This has a name: jealousy!

Suddenly, Peter raised his hand and said:

- Teacher, I do not see it like that! I think we all will have our opportunity, which may be even better than theirs!

- That’s right, Peter. Maybe their trip won’t be that good… What if it rains? What if they get a flat tire on the bus and are stuck by the road, waiting for it to be fixed, instead of visiting things as planned?

At that moment, another student raised his hand and told everyone how he remembered that once his whole family had gone traveling and their car broke down, and they had to wait many hours, doing nothing, until their car was fixed!

Another student raised his hand and agreed:

- It happened to us too, teacher! The last time we went to the beach, a car crashed into ours and it made it very difficult for us to get to our destination!

Their teacher looked at the whole class and agreed:

- Have you noticed how not everything is joy when you go on a trip? Who knows what might happen to them? We need to pray for that group that left today, so nothing's wrong with their trip! Isn’t that what we would like them to do for us if we were on the road?

The students agreed with her and someone suggested:

- Teacher, shall we say a prayer for this group that left today?

- Well remembered, Julio. Yes, let’s do it. It will be very good for all of them and for us as well, because we will leave our jealousy behind! As it was your idea, Julio, would you like to say the prayer for us?

The boy accepted and, closing his eyes, began to pray:

- Master Jesus, help our friends who went out today for a trip so that they can all return safely to our town. May your blessings surround them all and may everything go well too when it is our turn to take a trip. Thank you, Lord, for the blessings we have received in our lives: the gift of learning, the possibility of seeing, the air we breathe, the blessing of hearing, being able to walk… Bless us all here and also our families. Thank you, dear Jesus!...

MEIMEI

(Psychographed by Célia X. de Camargo, 24/7/2017.)