The Tea Challenge

One winter day, I was walking the school grounds with my friends Alice and Trevor when we came across a sign that read: “Cups of tea now available.” Excitedly, Trevor offered to buy us each a cup of tea. “No, thank you,” I said.

Trevor offered me tea each day, and I continued to decline. Finally, he asked me why I wouldn’t drink the tea. I told him about the Word of Wisdom, hoping that he would understand. But he just turned it into a big joke. He tried to get me to break the Word of Wisdom.

“It’s not like you’re taking drugs,” he said. “A cup of tea is harmless!”

The next week, he and his friends started teasing me even worse. I tried to hold my head high, though it wasn’t easy.

Over time, they felt bad for their actions and stopped teasing me. One day, my teacher told me: “You have always been an example of your faith and religion. I am proud of you.”

I am proud of myself too. It isn’t always easy, but I know I’ll be blessed for standing up for my standards.

Nicolé M., West Midlands, United Kingdom