"O-o-oh, Mom! I don't feel good," moaned Natalie one morning. "Can't I stay home today?" She sat down and clutched her stomach. Looking concerned, Mom agreed that she could stay home from school.

An hour or so later, Natalie's stomachache seemed to be gone, and she went to help her mother make some cookies. After putting on one of Mom's aprons, she tried to crack an egg into a bowl. "Oops!" she squealed as the egg broke, slid down her apron, and landed on the floor. "Good thing I'm wearing this apron."

As Mom helped clean up the mess, she looked at Natalie thoughtfully. "Do you think you really were sick this morning, honey, or were you just nervous about going to a new school?" she asked.

Natalie sighed. "Oh, Mom, I feel so strange in this school. I don't have any friends here!" she said.

"It will get better," Mom assured her. After a moment she added, "Natalie, just like you have that apron to protect your clothes as you work in the kitchen, you have Someone to protect you as you go to school. Did you know that?"

Natalie looked surprised. "You mean . . . you and Dad?" she asked. "But you can't go to school with me!"

Mom smiled. "No," she said, "I mean God. That apron protected your clothes-nothing can get to your good clothes without going through the apron. God is your protector in life. Nothing can happen to you without Ôgoing through Him.' In other words, nothing can happen unless He allows it."

Natalie looked thoughtful. "Yeah . . . but He does allow some things to happen that we don't like."

Mom nodded. "Yes, but only things that are good for us in the end," she said. "Nothing to harm us." She put an arm around Natalie's shoulder. "Let's ask the Lord to help you remember His promises," she said, "and then I think you should get ready and go to school this afternoon, don't you? When you feel nervous, remember the apron-and that God's protection is far better!"

Natalie nodded slowly. "Anna and Barb were really friendly yesterday," she said. "Maybe I could take a cookie for them. Okay?"
Trust God's protection