Two-year-old Denisa loved going to school. She loved playing with her best friend, Timeea. But when Timeea played with other little girls and boys, Denisa felt sad. She went to the corner and cried loudly. How did she overcome this feeling?
Two-year-old Denisa loved going to school. She loved playing with her best friend, Timeea. But when Timeea played with other little girls and boys, Denisa felt sad. She went to the corner and cried loudly.
“WHAAAAAAAAAA!”
This happened every day.
“WHAAAAAAAAAA!”
What could make little Denisa happy?
Denisa and Timeea were always the first to arrive at their school in Romania. Timeea’s mother was the teacher, and she picked Denisa up at her house every morning on the way to school.
One day, Denisa and Timeea arrived as usual before any other children. The two girls played a fun game of hide and seek. They hid under a big blue and green table. They hid inside the bathroom. They hid behind chairs. Then they played with modeling clay and colored pictures.
After a while, other children started arriving, and Timeea played with them. Denisa didn’t like that. She wanted all the attention for herself. She went to a corner of the room, sat on the floor, and began to bawl.
“WHAAAAAAAAAA!”
The teacher went to her and hugged her.
“You have no reason to cry,” the teacher said. “It is better to play together and not just with Timeea.”
Denisa stopped crying. She liked it when the teacher paid attention to her.
“Let’s pray together,” the teacher said.
Denisa knew how to kneel and pray because all the children knelt and prayed for worship every morning. She immediately got on her knees. The teacher also knelt, and prayed first.
“Our Father, please help Denisa to calm down and to understand that it is better to play with the other children and not only with Timeea.”
Denisa prayed to stop crying.
Then the teacher asked Denisa to help prepare some activities for the children.
After a while, Denisa joined a group of children and began to play with them. They made wooden puzzles of birds, frogs, grasshoppers, butterflies, and goldfish. Denisa especially liked a puzzle of a little bird with a yellow breast and brown and green wings.
The teacher spent a lot of time praying with Denisa during that year.
Things got easier during the second year.
After a while, Denisa started going to church with Timeea and the teacher on Sabbath. The teacher taught the Sabbath School class. Denisa liked praying in the class and learning more about Jesus.
Today, Denisa is 10, and she still prays a lot. In Sabbath School, she always is the first to raise her hand to volunteer. Denisa and Timeea are still best friends. They play together almost every day.
Part of your 13th Sabbath Offering will help open a school and an after-school center in Romania where children can learn to pray just like Denisa did at the Adventist school. Thank you for planning a generous offering.
