Lenkana’s Broken Arm

“Keep going, Lenkana!” Gideon shouted.

Lenkana grinned and ran faster, keeping his eye on the football.

Lenkana loved games. Whether he was playing outside with his friends after school or on his computer at home, he couldn’t help but smile and laugh. To Lenkana, games were the best way to feel happy. After all, how could he feel happy if he wasn’t having fun?

Lenkana ran as fast as he could to catch up to the ball. But suddenly—THUD! He tripped and fell hard on the ground. Pain shot through his hand.

“Oww!” he cried. His friends gathered around him.

Gideon called for Lenkana’s mum and helped him sit up. Lenkana’s arm hurt so much that he couldn’t stop the tears from falling. His mother rushed over and quickly took him to the hospital.

At the hospital, the doctor checked his arm. “You have a small fracture,” he said. “We will put a cast on your arm, and it will heal soon.”

Lenkana felt sad. “How will I play games? How will I have fun?”

Mum held his good hand and smiled. “You will heal. But for now, let’s find something else to make you happy.”

That evening Lenkana sat on his bed, feeling frustrated. His arm hurt, and he couldn’t even use the computer to play his favorite games.

Then a thought popped into his head. When I feel sad, I can read about Jesus.

He picked up his scriptures and turned to the book of Matthew. He read about Jesus Christ’s birth. Then he turned to the story of John the Baptist baptizing Jesus. These were his favorite stories in the Bible. Reading them made him feel warm inside.

Just then, his little brother walked into the room.

“Hey, Lenkana!” he said. “Guess what I am!”

His brother made funny faces. Soon, Lenkana was laughing as they played a guessing game. His heart felt lighter.

The next Sunday, Lenkana saw Gideon at church.

“How’s your arm?” Gideon asked.

“It still hurts a little,” Lenkana said. “But I am happy inside.”

Gideon tilted his head. “What made you happy?”

Lenkana grinned. “My family, my brother, and Jesus!”

Gideon laughed. “That’s a good answer.”

As they sat in Primary, Lenkana listened to the lesson about Jesus Christ’s Atonement. His teachers explained how Jesus suffered so everyone could be with Heavenly Father again one day. They said that Jesus understands all of our feelings—the sad ones and the happy ones too.

Lenkana’s heart felt even happier as he listened. He knew that even when life wasn’t very fun, he could keep pushing forward. His family would help cheer him up, and Jesus Christ would help him be strong. He was never alone.

Illustrations by Kimberlie Clinthorne-Wong