The rest of the story: A Boy Named John (pictured below) This is my third year of teaching little ones in Sunday School. For the most part, the same little ones year after year. Since granddaughter, Eden, is in the class and granddaughter, Norrah, is my helper, I have not minded one bit. This year my class is comprised of second and third grade students--but, since the vast majority of them would qualify as gifted in any school, we do pretty well in the third and fourth grade student books. I like the way we do Sunday school at Grandview. One month on, one month off throughout the school year, then summers off while reinforcements take over for our summer Sunday School. Were like a well-maintained race car, even while we are running our race for Jesus. Having the same group of students year after year is both a privilege and a challenge. It is an opportunity to really get to know the students and the things of which they are capable and (sometimes) a chance to know them so well, they are at home at church. Drawing upon some of educations best practices, from the education guru Harry Wong, I have instituted procedures for our class, especially for those times when we are a little, dare I say it, out of control. While I am greeting the students upon arrival, there is an opening activity to keep them occupied (and to interrupt the constant playing of madcap tag.) And, when they are especially noisy and rambunctious, there is a secret sign for a silent seat that calls them back to the feet of Jesus. I love when we come together in a circle on our rectangular rug to practice our four part prayers to God: praise, confession, thanksgiving and requests are made in voices that are sent straight from the purest of hearts to the heart of the Father. (If someone does not choose to pray, they simple poke their neighbor and the prayer goes on.) I wish you could hear these beautiful prayers that are elegant in their simplicity and honesty. It is a wonder we can leave this circle without wearing scarves over our faces. Most of the children have fallen into the routine and it is a simple matter to remind them of our mornings purpose. One student, John, has been something of a challenge. Johns mom would tell you John has some developmental delays--and, while John is a wonderfully loving little boy, he is not always a wonderfully compliant little boy. It began in kindergarten when John would much rather sit under the table than at the table, usually with several puppets and a plastic vehicle in hand. At first I was insistent that John MUST join us and do what we are doing, because thats what it expected of little boys in Gods house. I quickly learned that that was not the way to treat John. Like an unbroken stallion, John didnt really appreciate having a bit in his mouth. It went much better to continue to invite John to participate, but to give him the choice. Sometimes he would choose to join us--especially for craft time, and sometimes he would not. With two workers in the room, there was little chance that John would be hurt and a great chance that he would absorb something he needed to hear. That he is loved by his teachers and his Heavenly Father. Sometimes he would express this with awe, You LOVE me! and God Loves me! (Of course, there were times that he would declare, I AM God and I died for your sins, but one step at a time!) Over time, we learned more about our John--that he could read and he could remember and he liked to swim and enjoyed a good splash in a hot tub (we do ALL SORTS of things as a class!) Lest I paint myself as too much of a paragon of virtue, I will admit that, though I love our John, I can get frustrated with him.....like the morning he would not stop clunking cars while we were learning to pray and another morning he opened about a dozen cans of BRAND NEW Playdough and mixed them together (Yeah, Im a little rigid when it comes to brand new Playdough.) And the morning he discovered he could outrun Norrah in the hallway.... and the morning I threatened, You are NOT getting a snack until you behave. The thing is, John is our boy, flawed, yes, as are we all. I was privileged to go out to supper with his loving mother (whom I suspect also feels a frustrated--though she loves him with a passion that would fill a city water tank.) I saw John in his habitat, playing outside his house and in his (impeccably clean) home. I saw his mother tell him what to do, and I saw him do it. I was frankly impressed. John missed a couple Sundays, quiet Sundays where obedient little children read the Bible, sang, prayed and ate their popcorn. Those were easy days. And, this morning, I wondered if he would come and prayed for strength. I saw his mom, Savannah, first and then John thundered into the room and my face stretched into the biggest smile I had. (Then I left for first service, wondering how it would go for the Junior Worship class.) When we got to the room, Norrah collected the popcorn and we greeted the students. Before I could begin the Opening Activity which was for them to look up Luke 1:37 and find the missing word to Nothing is __________ with God, Eden shouted out IMPOSSIBLE! (How can this be happening? That was supposed to take five whole minutes...) I directed the students to sit in a circle on the rectangular carpet and John played with an elaborate wooden train set. I breathed a prayer and sat beside him, That is a wonderful train set. Lets put it up and go sit in the circle. Thankfully, the first hour teacher asked us to pack it up so she could take it to her car and I could get students to help put the pieces in the handy plastic storage container. And I gingerly touched Johns arm, saying, Lets go sit in the circle not knowing if he would come or not. But he did--without question. He sat as close as he could without actually being in my lap and he had his moms cell phone in his hand, but he sat quietly (except for the game on the cell phone--which he turned down when I asked him.) Sitting there in a circle of his peers, blessed with the love of his teachers, friends and no doubt, the Holy Spirit, too, John prayed--thanking God for the animals and some other stuff I couldnt quite hear.....but GOD heard and God blessed us all. John came to the table for snack and John participated in acting out the Bible story, and John glittered a pennant to remind himself that nothing is impossible with our awesome God. Todays story was how God would send a baby to ancient Abraham and Sarah through whom the world would be blessed. This morning, this ancient teacher was also richly blessed by a little boy named John.
Posted on: Mon, 13 Oct 2014 02:02:57 +0000
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