The Borrowed Telescope

Nate's uncle lent the family a small telescope for the weekend. Nate had read the instructions twice and knew exactly where he wanted to point it when the sky grew dark. His younger sister Cora had been asking all afternoon whether she could see the moon first.

When they carried the telescope outside with Dad, Nate carefully adjusted the tripod. He found the moon, brought it into focus, and leaned toward the eyepiece. The bright surface looked more detailed than he had imagined. He could see shadows near the edge and wanted to keep looking.

Cora waited beside him. Each time she asked for a turn, Nate said he was still checking something. After several minutes, Dad reminded him that the telescope had been lent to the family. Nate stepped aside, but his impatient directions made Cora nervous. She bumped the eyepiece and lost the view.

Nate began to complain, then noticed tears gathering in her eyes. Knowing how to use the telescope did not give him a good reason to make the experience unpleasant for someone learning. He steadied the tripod and found the moon again.

This time he showed Cora where to stand before asking her to look. He gave one instruction at a time and waited while she found the right position. When she finally saw the moon, she smiled so widely that Nate forgot how long her turn was taking.

They made a list of things to look for and took turns holding a small torch over the page. Nate still enjoyed knowing more about the telescope. He began using that knowledge to help instead of guarding it like a prize.

The Bible describes love as patient and kind. A person can know the correct answer and still need to learn the right way to give it. Nate's understanding of the telescope became more useful when Cora could share what he saw. The moon had not grown smaller because two children looked at it. His enjoyment grew when there was room beside him for someone else's discovery.