The Red Mittens

Anna had red mittens that her grandmother knitted. They were warm, but they did not sparkle like the purple gloves her friend wore to school. Anna tucked her hands behind her coat whenever she stood beside her friend.

One cold morning the class went outside to look for winter birds. Anna's friend had forgotten her gloves. She rubbed her fingers together while the teacher showed them a robin near the hedge.

Anna looked down at her red mittens. She could keep both hands warm and say nothing. Instead, she offered one mitten to her friend. They each put a bare hand into a coat pocket and wore a mitten on the other.

When they returned inside, Anna noticed the tiny pattern Grandmother had knitted around the wrists. She had not looked closely at it before. Her friend said the mittens were very soft and thanked her for sharing.

That evening Anna told Grandmother about the robin and the cold playground. She also admitted that she had wished her mittens looked different. Grandmother smiled and showed her the spare yarn left from making them.

Anna still thought the purple gloves were pretty. She did not have to call them ugly to be thankful for her own. God teaches His people to be content. We can enjoy good things without letting someone else's belongings make us forget the care and kindness already in our hands.