Angels at School

[For children]

HELEN G. HASLER

"Julie, get back in line."

Beth stood at the school door, getting the other children to line up. She was a monitor this year. It was her job to see that everybody was orderly in the schoolyard. They were not to push or shove, and when the bell rang, they were supposed to stay in line quietly and walk to their classrooms.

Beth liked her job until Julie began to make trouble. This girl just refused to listen. After several warnings Beth finally had to say, "Julie, I don't want to report you, but if you don't obey the rules, I'll have to."

Julie looked angry. "If you report me, I'll tell my big brother," she retorted.

Julie's big brother, Kenny, was in Beth's class. Kenny and Beth had been friends, but Beth noticed a big change in him that very day.

"If you report Julie, my gang and I will wait for you after school and you'll be sorry!" Kenny said in a threatening voice.

Beth was just plain scared! By the time she got home for lunch she wasn't even hungry.

Mother gave Beth a gentle smile. "Now, honey, we know in Christian Science that one child of God doesn't want to harm another child of God. You don't have to be afraid, because our heavenly Father loves all His children. God is always with you." And she quickly added, "He's with them too!"

They both laughed, and Beth felt much better. She knew God was with her, but she'd forgotten God was with them. She remembered one of her favorite Bible stories, about Daniel and the lions. Really, it was a story about God's tender care. Daniel had been threatened too! He had been warned he'd be put in the lions' den if he continued to pray to his God instead of the king. But Daniel never stopped praying daily to his God and bravely faced the lions. God sent His angels to shut the lions' mouths so that Daniel was not hurt.

God was with Daniel, but He was with the lions, too. He was governing everything.

Beth knew that angels aren't little people with wings. Mrs. Eddy writes, "Angels are God's representatives."^{Science and Health, p. 299;} They are thoughts of Truth sent to us by God. They calm us; they govern us. Angels come to us just as they came to Christ Jesus when he needed them most.

She saw that she could trust God's tender care. God would govern her and everyone. As the Psalm says, "He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways."^{Ps. 91:11.}

Back to school she went, armed with some healing thoughts. She felt that God's angels, His "representatives," were with her right there in school.

When school was out, Beth saw Kenny coming toward her. He was smiling.

"Forget what I said this morning. I couldn't hurt you, Beth. You're too nice," he said.

They were friends again.

Next morning Beth was back at her job. It wasn't always easy, but being a monitor was important work and she loved it. And even Julie seemed to stay in line and behave better.

Count it all joy when ye fall into
divers temptations; knowing this,
that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
But let patience have her perfect work,
that ye may be perfect
and entire, wanting nothing.

James 1:2-4

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March 27, 1971

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