“Friends Following Jesus,” Friend, Feb. 2024, 14–15.
Friends Following Jesus
Saría didn’t expect Katy’s question.
This story happened in Australia.
“Bye, Saría! I know you’ll do great today,” Mom said.
Saría hopped out of the car. “Thanks!”
Today Saría wanted to invite her friends to her baptism. Mom had helped her practice inviting them on the way to school.
Saría skipped to the big double doors to her classroom. She went to a Christian school. That meant they all learned about Jesus Christ together even though not everyone went to the same church. Her teacher had put different names for Jesus on the classroom doors. They said things like “Miracle Worker” and “My God.” Today, Saría noticed the one that said “Promise Keeper.”
Saría grinned with excitement. When she got baptized, she would be a promise keeper too!
At lunchtime, Saría sat by Katy and Jenny on the stairs outside the classroom. As they ate, Saría thought now would be a good time to do what she had practiced.
Saría took a deep breath. “I’m going to be baptized soon. Would you like to come?”
“Why are you getting baptized now?” Katy asked.
Saría tried to remember the things she’d practiced with Mom. “Because I want to make a covenant. A covenant is a promise with God. After I am baptized, I will get the gift of the Holy Ghost.”
Katy reached for her sandwich. “I was baptized when I was a baby.”
“Me too,” Jenny said. “I thought everyone was baptized when they were babies.”
Saría felt confused. She didn’t know what to say.
After school, Saría told Mom what happened. “Why did Katy and Jenny get baptized when they were babies?”
Mom sat beside her. “Other churches do things differently. In some churches, babies are baptized by sprinkling water on them. But we believe that when we’re baptized, we make a sacred covenant. And we need to be old enough to understand the promises we make.”
Saría thought about the other differences she’d noticed at school. Her friends worshipped in many ways that were different from what she was used to.
Mom hugged her. “You did a good job today.”
Saría felt better. She hadn’t known how to answer her friend’s questions, but she had done her best. She still wanted to invite them to her baptism.
The next day, Saría and Katy walked to class together. Katy dropped something, and Saría picked it up for her. It was a necklace with a cross on it.
“Thank you!” Katy took the necklace. “I’d be really sad if I lost this. It reminds me of Jesus.”
Saría grinned and held up her CTR ring. “This reminds me of Jesus too! It stands for ‘choose the right.’ It reminds me to do the things that Jesus would do.”
“I like that,” Katy said.
Saría and Katy reached their classroom door. Katy pointed to the name for Jesus on the door that said “Way Maker.”
“That one is my favorite!” Katy said.
“I love it too.”
A happy feeling spread through Saría’s chest. Her teacher had told her that “Way Maker” meant Jesus made a way for things to happen. Jesus had made a way for Saría to make friends with kids from many different churches! They had differences, but one thing was the same. They all loved Jesus and wanted to follow Him. Saría knew that made Jesus happy.
Illustrations by Violet Lemay