This story is one of the eighty fables and parables found in Beatitales: 80 Fables about the Beatitudes for Children. Get your copy here.
A large box of standard No. 2 pencils sat patiently in a classroom closet, waiting for the students to arrive. Each of these pencils dreamed of the many great creations they would make with the kids once school began.
The first day of school finally came, and the kids poured into the classroom. School had started, but the pencils remained in the box. The kids were all using decorative pencils with flowers, superheroes, cartoons, and colorful designs instead. These pencils had big, fancy erasers, too.
The No. 2 pencils wondered if the students would ever use them. How could plain pencils ever be chosen over the beautiful and decorative pencils that the students liked to use? Still, the pencils knew their purpose. They were just as useful as any pretty pencil, and they waited patiently.
One day, there came a new student in school, who arrived without any pencils or paper or any supplies. She seemed sad that she had nothing to use in class.
So the teacher went back to the closet and picked up the box of No. 2 pencils. She gave it to the new student to use in class.
She was so grateful to have her very own set of pencils. She made many great creations and finished many difficult assignments with the help of these pencils. She was so grateful to have them that she didn’t mind the plain brown color on the sides. She was just happy to have her own set of pencils. The pencils were happy to help her, too.
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
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