The Map on the Bench

At the park, Ella's family stopped beside a map. Dad pointed to the path that led to the duck pond. Ella heard the word bridge and hurried toward the wooden bridge she could see between the trees.

Dad called her back before she went far. That bridge led to the picnic field. The path to the pond turned left before it. Ella had heard one part of the directions and missed the rest.

They sat on a bench while Dad showed her the map again. This time Ella kept her finger on the path as he explained. She found the toilets, the small garden, and the correct turning. Then she described the way back to him in her own words.

Her little brother wanted to carry the map. Ella almost told him he would lose it. Instead, she listened when he explained that he had a zipped pocket in his coat. Dad let him carry it until they reached the next sign.

They found the pond and counted six ducks near the reeds. On the way home, Ella helped her brother match the signs to the lines on the map. She was glad they had not spent the whole afternoon searching the picnic field.

God's Word teaches us to listen before answering. A quick guess can send our feet or our words in the wrong direction. Ella learned that giving someone time to finish was part of understanding where to go and what to do.