Jason is Matt's next-door neighbor and his best friend. Jason can run faster than anyone else Matt knows. He can bat and throw balls the farthest of anyone, too. Best of all, he always has the time and patience to show Matt how to do things better or to teach him something new. Every day after school the two boys ride the school bus together, excited to get home to play. When they get to their but stop, Jason sometimes takes a flying leap off the step of the bus, which always makes Matt laugh.

One day, though, when Jason leapt, he fell and hurt himself. Now, Matt had seen his friend cry before, but never like this. The tears just kept flowing. When Matt saw his friend hurting, he wanted to help. He knew the first thing his own family would do would be to pray. But what would Jason think? Matt goes to Sunday School, and he knew that Jason went to another Sunday School each week too, but the boys had never talked about that kind of stuff.

That week Matt's Sunday School teacher had given everyone in the class a Bible verse to read every day. She told them that they didn't need to memorize it, which made Matt glad. Instead, his teacher asked them to read the verse every morning and think about it. She told them that if they put the ideas in the Bible verse into practice that week, they would be able to remember it. She explained that it is not enough just to say the words. You actually live the idea when you put the words into practice with your thoughts and actions. Then the idea is part of you, and you don't forget it.

Matt had been reading this verse each morning with his mom, and he had thought about it. It had to do with courage, and that sure was what he and Jason needed right then. Matt knew that praying means turning thought away from the problem at hand, and thinking instead about God and His all-powerful goodness. He also knew from experience that praying helps you feel better, and he really did want to help his friend. So, very softly he said the verse from Isaiah: "Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness" (41:10). That was exactly right for Jason's situation! Matt gladly repeated it again. Matt's mom had explained to him that the right hand was considered to be the strong hand. So, the verse is telling us that God holds us up with His great strength. Matt knew, then, that his friend was secure and safe all the time, even right then.

Matt thought about this for a second. He reasoned that if God is always upholding us with His great strength, it is impossible for us to fall out of His care. And if we can't fall out of His care, we can't be hurt or afraid. This is God's spiritual law, which is more powerful than any physical situation. Thinking about this law, Matt started to say the Bible verse again. He looked at his friend and couldn't believe his eyes: Jason's tears had stopped, and he was saying the Bible verse, too.

Jason happily got up and ran into his house. After each boy had had a snack, they spent a great afternoon playing and laughing as usual. Their friendship was different now. They had shared something very special. They didn't talk about it. It just made them closer.

That night at bedtime, Matt's mom gave him a big-squeeze hug after Matt told her about how he had helped Jason. Matt's mom said it took courage to pray aloud. She pointed out that he had loved his neighbor as himself just as Christ Jesus instructs us to do (see Matt. 22:39). Matt's mom explained that he had lived his prayer by setting aside his embarrassment and by wanting to help. In doing so, both he and Jason had been able to let shine the courage and perfection they express as God's reflection.

Matt and his mom also talked for a moment about how Jesus had to face a lot of hard things—mean words, stones, and the cross—during his lifetime of helping others. Matt's mom showed him a line in Science and Health that says, "It requires courage to utter truth..." (p. 97). That kind of courage comes from God and is real, healing love!

For a long time after that day, any time Jason spent the night with Matt, the two boys asked Matt's mom to read to them from the Bible before they went to sleep. They especially liked her to read something from the book of Matthew or a Bible story about a fellow named Jason. You may never have heard of him, but you can find his story in the seventeenth chapter of Acts in the Bible. This Jason's love for Jesus and his teachings made him pretty courageous, too.