Marcela was a very kind and polite girl at school and with her friends. However, her attitudes were different at home: she shouted with everyone, complaining about everything and she didn’t seem to know the magic words: thank you, excuse me, please and sorry.
Claudia Schmidt
One day, she had a huge fight with one of her sisters. She shouted a lot and decided to lock herself in her room. One hour later, she received the following message in her phone:
Horrible behaviour, Marcela! You should be ashamed to have shouted so much ...
She wasn’t feeling embarrassed about her behaviour. She thought the message was sent by mistake, but realized it had her name written on it; so she thought it was a joke. She ignored it, since she didn’t recognize the number that sent the message.
On the next day, she was rude to her mother at lunchtime. She left the table without finishing lunch and complaining about the food.
Half an hour later, she had a new message on her phone:
God is observing your attitudes through his messengers, Marcela.
Was that a threat? - The girl thought. Who would have the courage to send something like that? She decided to call back the number listed to ask for explanations, but the phone was disconnected. She tried several times without success.
On the next day, she asked her father for a new pair of trainers. Since she didn’t get what she wanted, she hit her bedroom door saying,
- Oh, no! Nobody does what I want in this house!
Some time later a new message was received in her phone:
Who has Jesus in the heart should not behave like that.
Marcela felt offended. She promised herself not to look at the messages received from that number. She thought for a long time who could be the sender. She thought it was one of her sisters, but, though she tried, she couldn’t discover the author of the messages.
Marcela was still a rude girl at home and kind to those who weren’t part of her family. Therefore, she received several other messages in the days that followed, which made her think about her behaviour and suggested changes.
Anger itself is the best way to lose - one of them said.
She tried not to look at the messages, but she was so curious about it. She hoped to discover the author of the messages, who always kept the phone switched off so he/she wasn’t found. She received messages like this:
Use kindness, but especially within the home. Try to treat your family the same way you treat visitors.
Time passed by and the messages continued coming. When she had some nice attitude towards a family member, Marcela was happy with the loving messages of encouragement that were sent to her:
Well done! Jesus should be happy with your attitude!
She was being closely followed by one of her sisters, who bought a phone specifically to help Marcela. She was now becoming gentle and polite at home, with her family members. She never found out who sent her the messages, but managed to understand that each one’s attitudes are important to bring peace and harmony to the family.