“Even our neighbor knows that you don’t want to go to church. Do you think that is good? What do you want?”
To Sabbath School teachers: This story is for Sabbath, May 28.
By Andrew McChesney
J
urema didn’t like going to church.
But Mother liked going to church. Mother liked going to church so much that she went to church every Wednesday, Friday, and Sabbath. She went on Wednesdays for prayer meeting. She went on Fridays for sundown worship. She went on Sabbaths for Sabbath School and the sermon. After lunch at home, she returned to church for the afternoon program.
And she took 9-year-old Jurema with her.
Jurema made sure that Mother knew about her displeasure in going to church. Every time Mother took her, she frowned deeply, her eyes squinted in anger, and she spoke crossly.
One Wednesday evening, Mother and Jurema left the house to walk to prayer meeting. Jurema frowned deeply, her eyes squinted in anger, and she spoke crossly to Mother as they crossed the yard.
A neighbor stopped them.
“That girl doesn’t want to go to church,” the neighbor said.
Mother was embarrassed, and she didn’t know what to say. After the neighbor left, Mother turned to Jurema and, looking her straight in the eye, said, “Even our neighbor knows that you don’t want to go to church. Do you think that is good? What do you want?” Mother scolded Jurema all the way to church. Jurema’s frown grew deeper. She resolved never to go to church with Mother again.
The next time Mother got ready for church, Jurema announced that she would go instead with Big Sister. Mother agreed.
One Sabbath afternoon, after lunch, Big Sister and Mother went to a Pathfinder program at church. Jurema decided to stay at home alone and read a book.
As she opened the book, she felt something sting her neck. She ignored the sting and settled down on the bed to read. After a few minutes, she found it difficult to breathe, so she sat up. As she sat up, a small yellow bee fell into her lap.
Jurema hoped that it would be easier to breathe sitting up. But it wasn’t. Her head began to spin, and she was scared. Breathing hard, she ran to the house of a neighbor. “A bee stung me, and I can’t breathe!” she cried. “Please call Mother!”
Mother arrived a short time later and quickly gave Jurema some medicine. When the girl was able to breathe normally, Mother took her on a little walk.
“See what can happen when we skip church?” she said. “Do you still want to keep acting this way?”
From that day on, Jurema went to church willingly with Mother. She didn’t want to be stung by a bee again!
But when Jurema stopped being angry, she noticed that church was actually a happy place. She made friends, and she enjoyed singing and listening to sermons. She began to love Jesus.
Today, Jurema is grateful for the bee sting. She said the bee sting caused her to stop being angry. The bee sting caused her to learn that church is a happy place. The bee sting introduced her to her Best Friend, Jesus
