Bible Reading: Philippians 2:1-4

Sebastian quickly wrapped a rubber band around the faucet spray nozzle and ran back to the table. He watched his older sister rush into the kitchen and grab her water bottle. When she turned on the faucet, a fountain of water hit her in the face and she screamed. Sebastian laughed and stamped his feet on the floor. "April Fool!"

"Sebastian!" Leigh shrieked, dripping wet. "That's not funny! I'm going to be late for school!"

Leigh was still fuming when Mom walked in. "Sebastian made the faucet spew water at me, and now I have to go change. I'm going to be late, and I have a quiz in my first class!"

Mom glared at Sebastian, who shrugged and said, "It's April Fools' Day--we always prank each other on April Fools'."

Once Leigh had changed clothes and driven off, Mom got a bottle of orange juice from the fridge and sat down. "Sebastian, I know you were just having fun, but playing a prank like that on Leigh when she's in a hurry to get to school isn't funny. She's trying to get her grades up so she can apply for college. Thinking she might miss her quiz this morning really upset her."

"Sorry, Mom," said Sebastian. "I guess I didn't think about it--it seemed like fun to me."

"I know," said Mom. "But if it's only fun for you, it's not a good joke." She unscrewed the top on the orange juice.

"So how do I know if something is okay or not?" asked Sebastian.

"One thing to do is slow down and think things through. In the Bible, God tells us to think about others instead of just ourselves. We need to trust Him to help us love others the way He loves us by considering their needs and interests. If you had stopped to think about Leigh's feelings, you might have realized pulling a prank like that would upset her."

"So is it ever okay to play an April Fools' joke on someone?" asked Sebastian.

"Sure," said Mom as Sebastian reached for the orange juice. "Just make sure they're having as much fun as you."

Sebastian tried to pour some juice into his cup, but nothing came out--it was frozen solid!

Mom beamed at him. "April Fool!" They both erupted in laughter.

–Courtney Lasater