WET PANTS

Just before noon, one cold December Monday in Tanzania, an eight-year-old fairy penguin named Dino was sitting at his desk in school when all of a sudden, he felt a puddle between his feet and the front of his pants was wet. He thought his heart was going to stop because he could not possibly imagine how this had happened. It had never happened before, and he knew that when the boys find out, he would never hear the end of it. When the sisis’ find out too, they may never speak to him again.

Dino believed his heart was going to stop; he put his head down and muttered a prayer.

"Dear God, this is an emergency! Yesterday Pastor Rivers said you’re a helper in the time of need. I need help now! Or five minutes from now I'm dead meat."

He looked up from his prayer and there came the class teacher with a look in her eyes that said he had been discovered. She was a descendant of the great emperor and was very strict.

As she started walking toward him, a classmate of his named Ruki appeared carrying a goldfish bowl that was filled with water. It was their practical-science week, she had been picked for today’s presentation and she had come late.

“Ruki!” the teacher called out.

In panic, Ruki tripped in front of her and inexplicably dumped the bowl of water on Dino's laps.
“Shit!” Dino exclaimed, pretending to be angry. But in actuality, he was saying to himself, "Thank you, Lord! Thank you, Lord!"

And then all of a sudden, instead of being the object of ridicule, he became the object of sympathy. The teacher rushed him downstairs and gave him gym shorts to put on while his pants dry out. All the other children were on their hands and knees cleaning up around his desk.
“I’m so sorry” Ruki had said to him when he returned. The sympathy was wonderful. But as life would have it, the ridicule that should have been his had been transferred to someone else – Ruki. When she tried to help clean up the mess, they told her to get out. “You've done enough, you klutz!" they yelled at her.

She quietly fetched her goldfish bowl, traced her steps to her sit and remained there, watching with open eyes. She was in shock. And to worsen issues, in a few minutes, she would be standing in front of the class for her presentation.

Suddenly their class teacher appeared and announced that the day’s presentation was cancelled – till further notice. Bulk of the sea water for the science practical had been spilled.

Finally, at the end of the day, as they were waiting for the school bus, Dino walked over to Ruki where she was standing alone and with a big frown whispered, "You did that on purpose, didn't you?" In spite of his petite height, he still towered over her.

"No!" Ruki replied in fear. “I couldn’t do that with my step-mothers thirteen-year old goldfish bowl, she would kill me!”

“Yes I wasn’t prepared for the presentation but you know, after the stress my dad went through to get me that water, I couldn’t just pour it away like that!” she furthered. “I’m really sorry” she pleaded.

“It’s okay” was all Dino could mouth in remorse. He hadn’t the faintest idea Ruki was living with a step-mother.

Next, she took his hand and turned to face him with the most grateful eyes he had ever seen.

“Thank you for being at that sit; you saved that bowl from breaking. Thank You”

“Thank you too” Dino managed to respond after a momentary pause. “For coming late, for bringing that bowl of water and for tripping close to my seat; I had actually wet my pants” he revealed quietly.

“Yes” he affirmed to her surprise. “I had just finished praying for help when you appeared”

“Oh, I’m so sorry” Ruki said with concern, wondering what would have happened to him.

“My pastor, Pastor Rivers was correct when he said God is a helper in times of need” Dino said, placing a gentle hand on her shoulders. “But it is important for us to know that when God uses us to help others, He helps us too – and personally for that matter’” Dino inferred.

“Yeah, right!” Ruki affirmed, certain that she had found a friend and a brother.

You may be going through tough times right now. Pray for help and believe that God is going to help you in a way that only He can.
He will come through for you.