“Repay Bad with Good” by Reva Lachica Moore
Last Friday, Kaitlyn told us that she had a wonderful day at school. The students had to make a puzzle and after they were done, they had to put a good comment on the puzzle card and give it to another student. “I was very surprised that Nicole (not her real name) gave me her puzzle card with a comment that said, ‘Kaitlyn, you are beautiful and you sing very well.’” I gave her my puzzle with good comment, too.
“That’s really nice of your classmate to do that. Is Nicole your friend?” I asked. Then Kaitlyn told me the story, which I remembered as she related it.
“Mumu, do you remember the girl who gave me a hard time when I was in first grade? I did not have friends then so I just sat on the bench during recess. Nicole squirted hand sanitizer on my face when I saw her in the bathroom. But I didn’t report her. I told you about her, and you said that I should repay bad with good. It was Nicole’s birthday and you looked for a necklace and a card and then you asked me to write: To Nicole from Kaitlyn. I gave the necklace to Nicole the next day and she was very surprised. She did not become my friend, but she no longer gave me a hard time.”
Kaitlyn continued her story….
“Do you remember when you gave a girl a bathing suit?” Kaitlyn asked. I tried to juggle my memory from a year ago. “Tell me what happened,” I told Kaitlyn. She started telling me the details and I then remembered. Kaitlyn’s class (the girls) had a swimming party on their last day of school.
We bought Kaitlyn a new bathing suit and we attended the party. There were several parents there, too (but we were the only grandparents). When we got there, Kaitlyn said she brought her other bathing suit and did not need the new one that I bought.
Soon, the girls went inside the building where they changed into their bathing suits. But one girl came out still wearing her uniform. I wondered why. The girl looked sad. Then I realized there was a miscommunication between her and her mother (who was there, too). The mother thought her daughter brought with her her bathing suit; the daughter thought her mother was going to bring it.
Since I carried the new bathing suit that I bought for Kaitlyn, I walked to the girl and handed her the bathing suit. “It’s new. Kaitlyn didn’t even get to try it on. You can have it,” I told her. The look on the girl’s face was indescribable. She took the bag and disappeared to the changing room. When she came out, she looked beautiful. The bathing suit fit her perfectly. Soon she was in the pool with her friends. She swam near Kaitlyn as if saying, “Thank you.” She posed with Kaitlyn and I took their pictures.
Kaitlyn continued her story: “Mumu, that girl you gave a bathing suit is Nicole. The same girl you gave a necklace because she gave me a hard time.” I was very surprised. “Kaitlyn, do you remember when I said that we should always repay bad with good? Because that’s what God wants us to do.”
BUT WHY DID GOD WAIT for 4 YEARS before I found out that the girl I gave a bathing suit is the same girl whom we gave a necklace because she was giving Kaitlyn a hard time? I think that God knows these things and during times when we need encouragement, or confirmation of what we are asking Him for, He surprises us and lets us know that He cares. Kaitlyn’s story last Friday made my day! (Written May 2022)
1 Peter 3:9
Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.
Proverbs 22:6
Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.