St. Therese of Lisieux suffered from scruples in her early teens, which made her so ill she had to leave school when she was 13.
As a little girl, St. Therese the Little Flower had a great love for pictures and books. She was not good at games, and she preferred to spend time in reading. However, she was only allowed a limited time for this favourite recreation, and it became an occasion of much self-sacrifice. As soon as the permitted time had elapsed Therese made it her duty to stop instantly, even in the middle of a most interesting passage.
More precious than knowledge from books was her spiritual insight to understand that “the only true glory is that which lasts forever; and that to attain it, there is no necessity to do brilliant deeds, but rather to hide from the eyes of others, and even from oneself, so that ‘the left hand knows not what the right hand does.’”
The year after her illness, Marie helped her younger sister, Therese, to prepare for First Communion. Therese was very happy on her First Communion day and shed tears of happiness. She recalled: “How sweet was the first embrace of Jesus! It was indeed an embrace of love. I felt that I was loved, and I said: 'I love thee, and I give myself to thee forever.’
During the afternoon of First Communion day, Therese read the act of consecration to Our Lady, for herself and her companions. She was chosen probably because she had been deprived of her earthly mother while still so young.
Therese longed for Jesus in Holy Communion. She wrote, “The pretty clothes and the presents I had received could not satisfy me. Henceforth Our Lord alone could fill my heart, and all I longed for was the blissful moment when I should receive him again.”
Though young in age, Therese already had the desire to suffer for God and to love God only. She desired to find joy in God alone.
Therese experienced the unreliableness of human affection. While at school, she chose as friends two little girls of her own age. Therese recalled: “One of them had to stay at home for some months; while she was away I thought about her very often, and on her return I showed how pleased I was. However, all I got was a glance of indifference – my friendship was not appreciated. I felt this very keenly, and I no longer sought an affection which had proved so inconstant. Nevertheless I still love my little school friend, and continue to pray for her, for God has given me a faithful heart, and when once I love, I love forever.”
Therese was touchy and suffered from scruples in her early teens, finding peace in confiding her scruples to her sister Marie. Her scruples made her so ill that Therese was obliged to leave school when she was 13. Her father took her several times a week to tutor. Scrupulosity was a great spiritual and mental trial for Therese which lasted for about two years.
When Marie decided to enter the Carmelite convent, Therese resolved to take no further pleasure in anything here below. After Marie entered the Carmel and Therese no longer had someone to listen to her scruples, she turned toward heaven and confided her scruples to her four siblings who had died in baptismal innocence.
She wrote, “I thought that these innocent souls, who had never known sorrow or fear, ought to have pity on their poor little suffering sister … The answer was not long in coming; soon my soul was flooded with the sweetest peace. I knew that I was loved, not only on earth but also in heaven.”
小德蘭決定只愛天主
小花聖小德蘭不善比賽遊戲，卻喜看圖畫及閱讀，所以她在閒時只想看書本。不過，她這閒時閱讀是有時間限制的；無論她看到十分感興趣的圖畫或章節時，她都會在限時內馬上放下閱讀，作為犧牲奉獻
以閱讀給她帶來的知識更為珍貴的就是她的靈悟：真正的光榮要是永恆的。為得到這永恆的光榮，不需要闖一番大事，而是不顯眼的小事情，不需要被注目，甚至連自己也不察覺；因為耶穌說「左手也不讓右手知道。
小德蘭病癒後，姐姐瑪莉替她好好準備初領聖體。小德蘭初領聖體當日，非常愉快，亦感動到流下眼淚。她憶述：「第一次擁抱耶穌是多麼甘飴！那是真正愛的擁抱！我感到被愛。我說『我愛祢！我把我的所有永遠奉獻給祢。』」
初領聖體當天的下午，小德蘭為自己和同伴朗誦了「奉獻給聖母」的經文；她被選去唸這經文，很可能是因為她自小沒有了人世間的母親。
小德蘭早已渴望領受聖體聖事中的耶穌。她寫道：「華衣和禮物，都不能滿足我。從今以後，只有吾主可能滿全我的內心。我是多麼想再能有領受祂的有福時刻啊！」
年紀小小的德蘭，已經渴望為天主而受苦，並願只愛天主。她只願在天主內找到喜樂。
小德蘭經歷過人世不可靠的友誼。在學校裡，曾經有兩位同齡的好友。她回憶說：「其中有一位求學中途要返家暫住，期間我常想念她。及後，她回校復學，我顯示我的喜樂。但我所得到的只是她冷漠的一瞥-------我的友情並沒有受到重視。我對此深有感受，我不再尋求如此不穩的情誼。但我還愛我學校的小朋友，並繼續為她祈禱，因為天主賞給我一顆忠誠的心，每當我愛，會愛到永遠。」
青少年初期階段，小德蘭容易感觸，並有心窄病；她這些困惑擔心，只向姐姐瑪莉剖白；不過，她的健康問題還是令她在十三歲時綴學返家，只每星期數次從私人老師處繼續學習。內心過份的顧忌，搆成小德蘭健康及靈修的試探，歷時兩年。
姐姐瑪莉終於進入修院當加爾默羅修女，小德蘭再沒有傾訴的對象，卻使她把一切轉向天上，尋找來自天上的信賴和安慰。她轉向夭折的哥哥姐姐們祈求；她寫道：「我想到那些純潔的靈魂，他們沒經歷憂苦恐懼，倒希望他們會可憐我這個受著苦痛的小妹妹 …。答允很快便來了；我的靈魂不久被甘飴的平安充斥著，我知道我被寵著 ── 不止來自地上，亦來自天上。」