At recess the next day, Will and Lilly noticed something new. Across the field, two kids quietly watched the group teasing Jake. They weren’t laughing—but they weren’t stepping in either.
“Do you think they’re just scared, like Jake?” Lilly asked.
“Or maybe like us,” Will replied. “Waiting for the right time.”
During lunch, Will and Lilly approached one of them—Sophie, a girl from their science class. She sat quietly under the bleachers, eyes down.
“Hey,” Will said gently. “Did you see what happened with Jake?”
Sophie nodded. “Yeah. I don’t like it, but… I don’t want them to turn on me next.”
Lilly sat beside her. “We get it. But maybe they won’t feel so big if we all stick together.”
Sophie hesitated. “You mean like… a group?”
“Not a club,” Will said, “just people who have each other’s backs.”
Sophie gave a small smile. “I’d like that.”
By the end of the day, they found two more students who quietly admitted they wanted to speak up but didn’t know how.
That evening, Will and Lilly told their parents.
“You just found something important,” their dad said. “There’s always more light out there than you think—but it’s hidden.”
“The world wants you to believe you’re standing alone,” their mom added. “But the Lord always has others nearby—waiting for their courage to grow.”
Will grinned. “Like when Elijah thought he was the only one left, but God told him there were thousands more.”
“Exactly,” their dad said. “You’re not starting a fight—you’re building a family.”
Lilly thought for a second. “A family… that knows how to stand without falling into anger.”
Their mom smiled. “The best kind.”
As Will and Lilly sat on the porch swing again that evening, they felt something shift. They weren’t just reacting anymore—they were building something. Quietly. Strongly. The way Jesus would.
Deep in their hearts, they knew the next step would require even more wisdom and love.
Parents or Young Readers: Have you discussed these two critical issues—how to find allies in a divided world and how to lead others in love, not fear?
Thankfully, Will and Lilly have well-balanced parents rooted in their relationship with Jesus and building their lives on the Rock, not the sand.
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