A Gentle Approach

Gracie sat down on the couch next to her mother. They both laughed as three-year-old Maggie chased their new kitten around the living room. "Come here, Kitty! Come here!" Maggie yelled, holding out a treat, but the kitten darted away.Gracie sighed. "Mom, I don't know what to do about Andrea. She always complains about her grades, but she hardly ever does homework. I finally told her to stop whining and spend more time studying. She got upset, and now she won't talk to me.""I'm not surprised," said Mom."But why?" asked Gracie. "I'm just trying to help!""Yes, but if you said it to her the way you did just now, it probably didn't sound like help. She may have felt it was an attack."Just then Maggie joined them with the unaccepted cat treat still in her hand, crying in frustration. "Gracie, why don't you show Maggie how to give the treat to the kitten?" said Mom."Okay." Gracie took her little sister by the hand and showed her how to approach the kitten in a gentle, non-threatening way. "Move slow and speak softly," Gracie said. Crouching low, she quietly called the kitten and showed him the treat. He slowly came closer and finally felt comfortable enough to take it.Maggie sat on the floor and petted the kitten while Gracie returned to the couch. "Good job," said Mom. "You needed to approach the kitten gently. And that reminds me of your problem with Andrea. Can you think of a way you could do that with her?"Gracie thought for a moment as she watched the kitten. "Well, I could ask her to forgive me for the way I talked to her," she said. "And, um…I can offer to help her with homework and help her study before our tests.""I think that's a great idea," Mom said. "The Bible tells us a soft answer calms anger. Remember that since you trust in Jesus, you can always respond to others with love and gentleness because you have the Holy Spirit inside you. Trust Him to help you use a gentle approach with Andrea. When she sees how much her friendship means to you, I think your problem will be solved." -Sarah Vile