文學與人生 Dream sees the invisible, feels the intangible and achieves the impossible.

"I love being out in the snow," said Stacey, catching a snowflake on the tip of her tongue.

Dad smiled. "I can tell," he said. "You're never ready to come in, but Mom sent me out to tell you it's dinner time and the food is hot and ready to eat." So Stacey and Dad went in and washed up for dinner.

"Did you have a good time playing with our new neighbor?" asked Mom as they sat down to eat.

"Not really," said Stacey. "She's Asian and she's hard to understand. Her accent's too strong. I don't think I'll play with her very much."

"Well, you don't know her very well, yet. Give her a chance," encouraged Mom.

Stacey shrugged. "I don't know. I think she's just too different," she said as she glanced out the window. "Look! It's snowing again-great big snowflakes! Aren't they pretty?"

"Yes," agreed Mom, "and scientists tell us they're all different-like people."

Dad nodded. "Did you know that even though no two snowflakes are alike, all of them do have something in common?" he asked. "Each one has six points. That's like people, too."

Stacey laughed. "You mean people have six points?" She knew that wasn't what Dad meant.

Dad laughed, too. "We know that no two people are exactly the same or have the very same experiences," he said, "but we often forget that they're also alike in many ways."

Stacy was quiet a minute. "You mean . . . like we all eat and breathe and sleep and grow hair?" she asked. "Stuff like that?"

"That, too," agreed Dad, "but I was thinking that each nationality has its own language and customs, yet many character traits and feelings are the same for all of them. For example, prejudice and selfishness are the same in any language. So are kindness and acceptance and love. Which of those traits do you think God wants us to display?"

"The last ones," murmured Stacey.

Dad nodded. "God created all people," he said, "and He loves each one. He asks us-His children-to share His love, even with those who seem very different."

HOW ABOUT YOU?

How do you treat kids who are different from you? Do you avoid them, or do you include them in your fun and games? If they speak with an accent, do you do your best to understand and help them? Do you recognize that God makes every person different from every other one? Thank Him for the interesting variety He's given. Ask Him to help you be kind and thoughtful and friendly toward all your classmates and neighbors.

TODAY'S KEY VERSE:

If God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 1 John 4:11