“Mom, mom, guess what …” Nicholas excitedly came running into the house. He had a streak of dirt on his forehead and black crescents under his fingernails. Mom interrupted her work and asked: “What’s wrong? Why are you so late, and why are you so dirty?”
“You know our class has a plot in the school garden,” Nicholas explained. “The teacher asked who could look after it today. Maik volunteered. And guess what! During the break today, he suddenly said he didn’t feel like it after all. He wanted to go to the playground with his friends instead.”
“Oh, that’s not nice at all,” said Mom. “Then why did he volunteer?”
“Because nobody else wanted to do it,” Nicholas muttered meekly. “I didn’t feel like it either. I’ve already helped in our garden.”
Mom asked: “And what about the garden now?”
Nicholas sighed deeply. “I had a bad feeling all day. Someone must look after the poor plants, otherwise they’ll wither. That’s why I watered them and pulled the weeds. That’s why I came home late. I’m sorry, Mom.”
When Mom heard this, she was not angry with Nicholas at all. She hugged him and said, “You know, Jesus told a parable in the Bible about two brothers. A father asked his sons to go into the vineyard. The first son replied, ‘I don’t want to’, but later he was sorry and went after all. The second son said he would go, but then he didn’t. Jesus asked his listeners which son had done what the father wanted.”
Mom continued: “If you agree to a task, you should fulfill it faithfully. Your class is responsible for the plot and must take care of it, even if you don’t feel like it. I’m glad you listened to your conscience and were sorry you wanted to dodge the work. Now, please go and wash your hands and face.”
Nicholas was relieved. He was glad Mom was not angry and decided in the future he would always do his chores straight away
Irene Wuchrer
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