Remember me? I am Emma Marie and I have a BIG problem. I hope you will be able to help me. You see, a new girl named Shelby moved into my neighborhood and I am having the worst time being her friend. She wants to be the boss of everything and I don't know what to do. When we play games, she always has to be first and won't play if she loses. I really don't like to play with Shelby, but I have been thinking. Maybe she will change if I pray for her and ask the Lord to change her heart. But maybe, I need to pray for the Lord to change my heart. All I know is that I don't like her very much.
I think I am going to talk with my mother to see what she says. She is busy right now putting my baby brother to bed, but she will be in later for me. She always likes to talk with me about my problems and is very wise. Daddy isn't home right now, but he is very wise too. But tonight, I have a girl problem. Here she is now.
"Emma, have you bushed your teeth and and washed your face and hands?"
"Yes, Momma, I am all ready, but I need to talk with you about Shelby."
"What is you're problem Emma?"
"It's Shelby momma. She isn't very nice and I don't like her. Do I have to play with her?"
"No Emma. You don't have to play with her, but I don't think that your attitude is very nice either. We need to pray."
We sat together on my bed, and prayed for the Lord to change my attitude towards Shelby. My mother told me that "to have a friend, you first need to be a friend". I sure have a lot to learn.
I guess I am going to have to be a friend. Tomorrow is a new day and I have to start sometime. Please pray for me.
How would you handle this problem? What would your mother tell you to do? Perhaps, you can help me.
Good night
Emma Marie
My name is Emma Marie and I would like to tell you a story that happened to me the other day. It was right after breakfast when I was all through my chores, and my mother said that I could go out and join my brothers playing in the sand box. It was a big deal for me as long as I promised NOT to mess up their roads and bridges that they had worked so hard to build. I had to be VERY careful walking around in the sand or I was OUT of there. You see, my brothers had built a replica of our town with its two major highways, railroad tracks, town municipal buildings, three churches, a fire house, a gas station, a garage, a grocery store, the library and two schools. Believe me, they guarded their work diligently.
In the meantime, my mother was in the house and had decided to clean out her jewelry case. If I had known what she was going to do, I would have been right there with her. I loved her jewelry. She had many beautiful rings, necklaces and bracelets and I liked trying them all on. My mother had promised me that one day, she would surprise me and give to me one of her very special rings. There was one small ring in particular that just fitted my finger and oh how much I wanted it!
In middle of the morning, my mother called to me and said, "Emma, please come here right now!" I was having such a great time playing with my brothers I didn't want to leave, so I pretended that I didn't hear her. Have you ever done a thing like that? My mother called again and I still didn't obey her. I continued ignoring her and kept playing.
Later, when I went in for lunch, I thought she was going to correct me, but instead she told me to go upstairs and wait in her bedroom. When she came upstairs, I didn't know what to expect. I just sat quietly as she went over to the jewelry box, opened it and took out the very ring I wanted so badly. The anticipation that this might be the time she was going to give me the ring really excited me. She held the ring in the palm of her hand and said,""Emma Marie, this morning when I called you to come to me, I wanted so much to give you this ring today, but when you didn't come , I decided that you were still too young and not responsible enough to care for it, so I am going to keep it a little while longer."
I felt so bad. I started to cry, " Please mommy, can't I please have it? She meant what she said and sent me to my room to think about it. There is only one thing that I thought about for all the time that I was in my room. I had lost a great opportunity to have the ring I always wanted, because I didn't listen and obey my mother. I hope this never happens to you
Do you know what a little gimme bug is? They are not very nice friends. They want everything for themselves., Gimme this, gimme that! They grab, they push, they pull to get their own way. I know YOU don't want to be like that! Gimme bugs are the hardest little people to be around. You don't want to play with them.
Once I was at the house of one of my little friends and I was so surprised. I met two little gimme bugs. I wish you could have heard them. While we were eating at the dinner table, the little boy said, "gimme the potatoes." He never said please or thank you. The little girl was not much better. She said, "Gimme a glass of water and grabbed for her brother's glass of water and spilled it all over the table." I was shocked. I thought to myself, "where are their manners?" I knew that their parents had taught them good manners, but that they just didn't want to listen and obey. These two gimme bugs also weren't very kind to each other.
After dinner, one of the gimme bugs wanted to show me how he had just learned to ride a bike. The other gimme bug also wanted to show me how she could ride too and started to pull her little brother off his bike. Gimme bugs have to have all the attention and can't share anything. I don't think they even liked each other.
No matter how hard the parents tried to correct their selfish behavior, nothing worked. I guess the two gimme bugs were going to learn the hard way. The very next week, there was a birthday party in the neighborhood. The invitations were sent out to all, except for the two gimme bugs. I felt so sorry for them. The children told me that they didn't want any gimme bugs spoiling their party. At first the two gimme bugs said that they didn't care and stayed to themselves, until there was a slumber party, the pool party, the trip to the zoo,and another birthday party and NO INVITATION. The two gimme bugs weren't invited anywhere. How sad it was for them.
Do you know any gimme bugs in your house or neighborhood? I hope you don't. I really need your help, and I was wondering if you might have some ideas for me? I think the gimme bugs are both beginning to see that they have a BIG problem with SELFISHNESS. How can I help them change? I bet your mommy and daddy have some great ideas you can share with me.
