To Linda this was going to be the best week ever! Sunday afternoon she packed her suitcase, and Mom and Dad drove her across town so she could spend the week with her cousin, Judy, Uncle Stan and Aunt Janet. The girls were the same age and always had good times together.
The only thing Linda did not like was that Judy always tried to tell her about Jesus. Judy said she was saved because Jesus had taken the punishment for her sins on the cross. Linda did not understand what Judy meant by this, but she wasn’t going to try to figure it out. She had come for a good time, and that was that! But Monday afternoon something happened to change Linda’s plans.
The girls had been outside playing basketball in the hot sun. They finally decided to come in for a cold drink. “You’d better leave the ball on the porch, Linda,” Judy cautioned. “Mom says that basketballs have a mind of their own if you bring them inside the house!” Linda laughed, but continued to bounce the ball as they entered the kitchen.
Judy opened the refrigerator and got out a jug of lemonade. Just as she opened the cupboard to get two glasses, Linda called, “Hey, Judy!
Catch this one!” Judy saw it coming, but it was too late! The ball slammed into the open cupboard.
When Aunt Janet heard the noise she hurried into the kitchen. There were the dishes shattered in the cupboard and bits of broken glass everywhere.
“Judy! What happened in here?” she cried.
Judy did not answer. Linda didn’t say anything either. “Judy, can you tell me what happened?” came the question again. Judy just couldn’t tattle on her cousin.
“If you can’t tell me, you will have to miss dessert all week. You know how I feel about throwing balls in the house,” Judy’s mother said.
When dinner-time came, nothing was said about the broken dishes. But there were only three pieces of chocolate cake, one for Uncle Stan, one for Aunt Janet and one for Linda. Judy finished her green beans and drank a whole glass of water. Linda could hardly believe that Judy didn’t tell.
Tuesday night there was vanilla ice cream with butterscotch sauce for dessert. Everyone had some except Judy.
Wednesday night Aunt Janet had made strawberry shortcake. Thursday there was pumpkin pie.
Linda liked all these desserts, but a funny thing happened. They just did not taste very good, especially with Judy sitting there beside her without any.
Finally on Friday Linda couldn’t stand it any longer. She had been thinking about what Judy told her about Jesus taking the punishment for other people’s sin. When Aunt Janet brought three dishes of chocolate ice cream to the table, Linda handed her dish to Judy.
Then Linda told Aunt Janet and Uncle Stan the truth about the broken dishes. “I guess Judy took my punishment for breaking those dishes just like Jesus took the punishment for all my sins. I think I would like to hear more about Jesus,” she said.
That night Linda heard how the Lord Jesus had suffered and died for her sins. The next Sunday she started going to Sunday school with Judy. She learned more and more about this wonderful Saviour and Friend. Soon Linda accepted the Lord Jesus as her own Saviour. Then she enjoyed her visits with Judy even more. “God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Rom. 5:88But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8).
ML-05/25/1980