When Hope Rises Again
It was test day at school. The classroom was quiet.
Pencils scratched softly. Pages turned.
And one little girl sat staring at her paper. Her name was Mia.
Mia had studied. She had listened. She had practiced. But now that the test was in front of her, her mind felt empty. She blinked hard and looked at the questions again.
Nothing.
The answers felt far away. Mia’s stomach felt twisty. Her hands felt tight and sweaty.
And her thoughts began to sink lower and lower—just like Hippi the Hippo sinking into the lake when the water got too deep and heavy around him.
Mia had read stories about Hippi the Hippo and his friends, Joppa, Millo, and Mahle, and the rest of the gang. She remembered how sometimes Hippi would sink into the lake when old sadness, fear, or heavy thoughts pulled at him. He would feel like he could not rise.
And right then, Mia felt just like that.
“My thoughts are sinking,” she whispered in her heart.
As she stared at the page, she imagined Hippi in the lake.
At first, only Hippi’s eyes were above the water.
Then his nose dipped low.
Then even his ears seemed to disappear beneath the surface.
“Oh no,” Mia thought. “That’s how I feel. Like everything I learned has sunk to the bottom.”
But then she remembered something else about Hippi.
When Hippi felt himself sinking, he learned not to give up.
He would pause. He would breathe. He would ask God for help.
And little by little, hope would begin to rise again.
Mia took a slow breath.
Then another.
Very quietly, she prayed:
“Jesus, please help me. I feel like my thoughts are sinking. Please bring back what I learned. Give me peace.”
And in her heart, she imagined Hippi again, seeing him rise above the water, which helped her believe she could do the same with Jesus’s help.
This time, Hippi’s head began to rise.
First, his ears came up.
Then his eyes lifted higher.
Then his nose popped above the water.
Hippi was not sinking now. He was rising. And as Mia watched that picture in her mind, she felt a tiny spark of hope.
Maybe the answers were not gone after all.
Maybe fear had only pushed them down for a moment.
Maybe God could help her remember.
So Mia looked at the first question again. And suddenly, one small answer came back to her.
Then another. Then another. Mia’s thoughts were not sinking anymore.
Hope had found her again.
When the test was finished, Mia smiled softly to herself.
She had not remembered everything all at once.
But God had helped her one answer at a time.
And deep inside, she knew something important:
When fear makes our thoughts sink, Jesus can lift hope back up again.
Heart Lesson
Sometimes when children feel nervous, their minds can feel stuck.
That does not always mean they did not learn. Sometimes it just means fear got loud.
When that happens, we can pause, take a deep breath, pray, and ask Jesus for help, so children feel calmer and more in control.
He can calm our hearts and help us remember what we have learned.
Just like Hippi rising again in the lake, hope can rise again in children, helping them believe they can overcome their fears.
Memory Verse
“The Helper, the Holy Spirit… will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”
— John 14:26
Reflection Questions
- Have you ever felt nervous during a test like Mia?
- What did Hippi help Mia remember?
- What can you do when your thoughts feel like they are sinking?
Prayer of Repentance
Dear Jesus,
Please forgive me for the times I give in to fear and forget that You are with me. Forgive me when I panic and think I am all alone. Help me remember to pause, breathe, and pray when I feel stuck. Thank You for loving me and helping me when my thoughts feel heavy.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
Prayer for the children
Lord Jesus,
Thank You for helping children when they feel nervous, afraid, or forgetful. Please be near every student who is taking a test or feeling pressure in school.
When their thoughts begin to sink, lift hope back up again.
When fear gets loud, speak peace to their hearts.
When they feel stuck, remind them that You are with them.
Thank You for being the God who helps us remember.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
Be Kind to Your Brain
Sometimes, when we speak harshly to ourselves, our brain begins to feel like a Hippopotamus sinking beneath the lake.
“I can’t do this.”
“I’m not smart.”
“I always mess up.”
“I’ll never remember.”
Those words do not help our brains rise. They can make our thoughts feel heavier. But when we speak with kindness and truth, hope begins to come back up.
“I can try one step at a time.”
“I have learned this before.”
“God can help me remember.”
“I am not alone.”
“My brain is still learning.”
Our brains are not our enemies. They need patience, practice, rest, and encouragement. So when fear gets loud, we can pause, breathe, pray, and speak life.
Hope still rises.
Hippi the Hippo says,
Be kind to your brain.
Negative words can make hope sink,
But truth and encouragement help hope rise again.
Prayer
Lord Jesus,
Help me be kind to my mind. Forgive me for the times I speak harshly to myself or believe I cannot learn, grow, or remember. When I feel stuck, help me pause, breathe, and pray. Bring back what I have learned. Fill my thoughts with truth, hope, and peace. Thank you for being patient with me as I learn. Remind me, even when thoughts sink low, hope can rise again.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.