The Way to Be Wise

The teacher handed out the graded test papers, placing them face down on the desks. Layla was afraid to turn hers over and instead slipped it into her notebook without looking. When the bell rang, she shoved her notebook and jacket into her backpack and headed for home.Halfway to her house, Layla sat on a stack of tires at the corner of an auto repair shop. She pulled out her notebook and then the graded test. Just as she thought--a big red F! She wadded the test paper up and threw it in the trash can next to the mechanic's garage."I hate school!" exclaimed Layla as she walked into the kitchen. "Reading is too hard." Mom looked concerned. "Isn't that special reading class helping you?""Not really." Layla sat in a chair with a sigh. "The teacher is nice and all, but nothing seems to change. I feel so dumb!" Mom smoothed Layla's hair away from her face. "You're not dumb, Layla. I know you want to do better with your reading, and I'm proud of you for working so hard. Reading is an important skill to have in life, and I'm glad you want to learn how to do it well." Mom smiled thoughtfully. "Did you know there's something even more important to have in your life--something you can't learn on your own?"Layla shook her head. "What's that?""Wisdom," answered Mom. "Wisdom lets us know what is true and right and shows us how to apply that truth to our lives.""How do we get wisdom?" asked Layla."I was hoping you'd ask," said Mom with a grin. "The Bible tells us to ask God for wisdom, and He will gladly give it to us." "So, I just need to pray and I'll be smarter?" Layla asked, looking confused."Being wise is more than being smart and knowing information--it's about knowing God's truth and trusting in Him. In order to have wisdom, we need to have faith in Jesus. Then, as He works in our lives through the Holy Spirit, we will grow in wisdom and in our knowledge of Him.""I'm glad God gives us wisdom when we ask for it," said Layla. "I'm going to pray and ask Him to help me with my reading too!" –Bonnie Carr