New School

Kelly fought hard to hold in the tears all day at school. When her mom picked her up afterward, they started leaking down her face.Mom touched her arm. "What's wrong, honey?""Everything," Kelly said."You'll adjust to your new school eventually," Mom said, leaning over to give her a hug. "It was just the first day."The worst first day ever, Kelly thought. She turned toward the window as she relived the past several hours, the tears continuing to flow. First, she'd nearly missed her first class because she couldn't find the room. Then she'd spilled the contents of her backpack and had to pick up her things while everyone watched and laughed at her. Then there was lunch--"You can talk to me." Mom's gentle voice broke her train of thoughts. "What happened?""Lunch was a mess," Kelly said. "I couldn't even find a table to sit at, so I just ended up eating in the corner by myself."Mom frowned. "I'm sorry, Kelly."Kelly sighed. "What if I never fit in?""You will." Mom squeezed her hand. "Did you pray and feel God with you today?"Kelly shook her head slowly, realizing she hadn't."God is always with you," Mom said. "Even when it feels like you're all alone, Jesus is there with you, offering you His peace and comfort. He understands what it's like not to fit in, and He'll help you through the hard days at your new school. He helped me through some hard days at my new job.""He did?" Kelly turned to her.Mom nodded. "I was struggling to find my place there. It's always hard when you don't know anyone yet. Plus, I couldn't even figure out the coffee maker!""Really?" Kelly knew how much her mom loved coffee."I prayed about everything, and today a nice older woman helped me figure out the coffee. I think I made a friend too." Mom smiled. "God will be with you and help you, honey. Don't give up on your new school yet.""I won't." Kelly took in a breath and wiped away her tears. "I'll pray about it and try again tomorrow."–Bethany Acker