Episode 4: The Boy Without a Care
Weekly Reading: Chapter 4
For such a thoughtless boy, things seem to be going pretty good for Kelly Nash, don’t you think? He’s got a cozy new place to sleep at the mill, he doesn’t have to worry about Old Nash, and the kindhearted Ingalls family gives him his meals free of charge. Why—he doesn’t have a care in the world!
But…shouldn’t he care about Old Nash? What might happen to the poor old man all by himself? After Kelly’s grandfather leaves, Kelly can’t wait to tell everyone how funny it is. All of life seems like a big joke to him.
Have you ever met someone like Kelly? Always merry and full of fun, Kelly just doesn’t think, especially about the feelings of others. It’s easy for people who think only of themselves to take advantage of others, especially those who are weak (or poor, or awkward, or not very smart, etc.). A thoughtless person like Kelly may care a “little” if their actions hurt other people, but their care is short-lived.
We see this played out when Kelly pranks poor Annie Ingalls, when he laughs at his grandfather’s leaving, and when he is mean to animals. He is living out the proverb, “Doing wrong is like a joke to a fool…” (Proverbs 10:23a). But of course, Kelly never means any harm, he just wants to have fun!
Hmm. Having fun is not all fun and games, is it?
Sometimes it can be easy to have fun while being mean to other people without even noticing the harm we are doing. Sometimes we say hurtful things or we ignore people we don’t like or we make fun of people when they’re not around (or worse, when they are around)! These things may feel fun in the moment, but the fun never lasts.
True fun and pleasures come from following Jesus and actually thinking about what He says. God says, “In His presence is fullness of joy and at his right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11). Do you see that?! All the pleasures and joy a person could desire are found in God’s presence! What does that look like? Well, it looks like reading his Word, praying, and taking the time to “wash and dress” our soul just like we learned from Annie Ingalls last week! When we do these things, we experience true and lasting joy. (Something Kelly Nash has yet to experience!)
Thankfully, as we read in this little story, God has his hand on Kelly’s life. In His kindness, God has provided Kelly with food and shelter, and more than that—the faithful prayers of the Ingalls family.
With that many people praying for Kelly, what do you think will happen next?
Weekly Activity
In today’s chapter, we get a glimpse of life for the Ingalls family. As we followed Kelly into the Ingall’s home, we learned more about each member of the family as well as a few house traditions such as morning/evening prayer and an hour of worship. The ability to worship is a wonderful gift. Think about it this way—we get to sing praises to the Creator of the universe! This week, pick out a few of your favorite worship songs and set aside some time to sing them with your family or friends. You can sing them after dinner, before bed, or on a lovely Sunday afternoon—whatever time works best for you and your family!
Memory Verse
“You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”
Psalm 16:11
Study Guide Questions for Chapter 4:
Kelly Nash:
The Boy Who Didn’t Think
Every week there will be a reading assignment. So if you don’t have one already, be sure to purchase your very own copy of the book!
