“Do we have to go, mom? Maybe I’ll get better soon…” Pepe was whining while his mother drove him to the doctor.

Pepe hated going to the doctor, but his parents had decided it was time to see one because of a lingering cough. It was becoming painful, and he had even developed body aches.

The doctor’s office was filled with patients. Pepe was feeling so weak that he plopped into the first empty chair he saw. “Argh, I guess we’ll have to wait here for a loooong time,” he rolled his eyes.

While waiting to be called, Pepe decided to look at the people around him. Suddenly he noticed an older girl giving herself a shot with a needle. “What? No!” Pepe was at first terrified, but his curiosity was stronger and he decided to sit next to her.

“Does the doctor make you give your own shots here?” Pepe whispered to the girl.

“Oh, hi there!” the girl said while eating a delicious sandwich. “My name is Clara, what’s yours?”

“Pepe,” was all he could say, as he sat looking at the injection needle Clara had sitting next to her.

After a couple of more sandwich bites, Clara spoke matter-of-fact, “I have diabetes, and I need to take insulin to live. It is through these shots that I give myself insulin.”

“So, you have to do this every day then? How can you live like that?” Pepe was overwhelmed. He couldn’t picture himself doing that, or imagine living with this awful cough for the rest of his life.

“The Three Musketeers,” Clara mumbled while savoring her meal.

“You know the Three Musketeers too?” he was astonished.

“What would I do without God in my condition? I would probably be very sad, and who knows what else…” she responded after swallowing her sandwich’s last piece.

“But, but…” Pepe started.

“But what?” Clara asked. “The Holy Spirit fills me with supernatural strength, peace and joy, which allows me to do what I have to do every day and more. Besides, because of what Jesus did for us, I know that one day I’ll have a new body.”

“That’s not until you get to Heaven,” Pepe cut her off.

“So? At least it’s an amazing hope that keeps me going. In the meantime, I know that God is living with me every difficulty I encounter. And when things get tough, He does have a way to make things better.”

Clara noticed that Pepe was thinking carefully about what she said, so she added, “You know, this condition has brought me closer to God and made me depend on Him more. I need Him.”

“I know what you mean,” Pepe told her. “The Three Musketeers have gotten me out of trouble several times.” He remembered when he fell into a big dark construction hole.

Clara smiled and added, “This health issue has also made me a better and more beautiful person.”

“What do you mean beautiful?” Pepe asked her. Was she being vain?

“Well…beautiful on the inside, silly,” Clara smiled.

“I think you’re also beautiful on the outside,” Pepe blushed.

The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit were watching and listening with delight to Clara and Pepe. “Oh, how much we love them!,” the Father exclaimed.

“Pepe! Come here, it’s our turn to see your doctor,” his mom called.

“I’ll be praying for you,” Clara told Pepe.

“And me for you,” Pepe looked at her and waved good-bye while walking towards his mother.

Related Bible quotes:
Romans 12:11-12
2 Corinthians 5:1
Psalm 23:1-4