11/28/2025
🎀The Georgia sun beamed down on ten-year-old Maya as she walked home from school, the words of Hebrews 12:14 echoing in her mind: "Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord." It was a lot for a ten-year-old to process, especially after the morning she’d had.🌸
🎀At recess, a dispute over the tetherball pole had escalated. A boy named Darius had cut in line, and when Maya politely pointed it out, he snapped, “Find your own pole!” The sharp words stung.🌸
🎀Maya felt her anger rise, a hot flush spreading across her cheeks. She was ready to retort, ready to point out all of Darius’s past infractions, when she remembered the lesson her Grandma Rosa had shared the night before about the discipline we endure.🌸
🎀Grandma Rosa had talked about how Hebrews 12 compares life’s struggles to a race, reminding Maya that we should “run with perseverance the race marked out for us” (Hebrews 12:1). She’d explained that the “discipline” mentioned in the chapter wasn’t about punishment, but about training us, like an athlete getting stronger.🌸
🎀Maya took a deep breath, choosing to apply that lesson right there on the playground. She decided her “discipline” today would be patience and peace. Instead of shouting, she simply said, “Okay, Darius. I hope you have a good game,” and walked away to play hopscotch.🌸
🎀Later that evening, Maya was doing homework when her older brother, Caleb, started playing loud music in his room. The pounding bass made the table vibrate, making it impossible to concentrate. The familiar feeling of frustration returned.🌸
🎀She marched toward his room, ready to complain, but paused at his door, recalling another piece of Grandma’s wisdom from Hebrews 12: the reminder not to “forget the encouragement that addresses you as sons: 'My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you'” (Hebrews 12:5).🌸
🎀It hit her that pursuing peace required effort, even at home. It wasn’t about being a doormat, but about making choices that led to a holy, peaceful life. Holiness, Grandma said, meant being set apart for good things, like kindness and self-control.
Maya knocked gently on the door frame. “Caleb,” she said calmly when he turned down his headphones, “I’m trying to finish my reading. Could you maybe use your headphones or turn it down a little?”🌸
🎀Caleb, surprised by her calm tone, immediately said, “Oh, sorry, Maya. Didn't realize how loud it was. I'll put my headphones on.”🌸
🎀Maya smiled. The small victories added up.
That night, as she climbed into bed, Maya understood the scripture better. Living in peace and pursuing holiness wasn’t just for grown-ups in church.🌸
🎀It was for right now, in the little moments of everyday life. By choosing patience over anger and gentle words over shouting, she was running her race with perseverance, striving to live a life where peace was possible.🌸
