Bible Reading: Luke 6:27-37

After their bikes were stolen, Ryder and Zach asked all their friends and neighbors to be on the lookout. They prayed about it too--and Dad even prayed for the person who had taken the bikes.

As they were praying together a few days later, Ryder's thoughts wandered. I wish I could get my hands on whoever took my bike, he thought. He'd have a black eye and a bloody nose and--

Ryder opened his eyes just then and noticed the words on a plaque hanging on the wall: "Forgive one another as the Lord forgave you." He struggled with his thoughts and feelings. He felt like getting back at the person who had taken his bike, but he knew Jesus wanted him to forgive.

Later that week, Ryder looked out the window to see Bryn, a girl from his class at school, standing outside with a man next to her. What's Bryn doing here? he thought. Then he noticed she was holding on to a red bicycle.

"My daughter has something to say to you," the man said when Dad and Ryder came to the door.

"I think this is your bike," said Bryn. "I saw a man putting a blue bike in his truck in front of your house. This one was standing there too, but when I came along, he took off. I meant to just borrow it and bring it right back, but then I scratched it and was worried you'd call the police. I'm sorry. I'll pay for it."

"You're the person who stole my bike?" Ryder felt a rush of anger as he looked at the long scratch on his new bike, but then he remembered how he'd once made fun of Bryn at school and made her cry. He'd later apologized, and she'd forgiven him. I need to forgive her, he thought, because she forgave me--and because Jesus forgave me too.

"It's okay, Bryn," Ryder said. "I forgive you."

As Bryn and her dad walked away, Ryder happily pushed his bike into the garage. As he did, the long scratch caught his eye once more--but this time it didn't make him angry. Thank you, Jesus, for forgiving me for all the wrong things I've done, he prayed, and for helping me forgive Bryn.

–Evelyn J. Behrens