Be Ready at All Times



photo credit: inmagine.com

 “Good to see you Ms. M,” he said with the same sweet smile he’d had in my fourth grade class. He was now a high school senior but seemed to be the same soft spoken, sweet natured child I had taught years before.

As he walked away, I smiled as memories flowed through my mind. It was shortly after recess when a parent came to bring a project his child had forgotten at home. After the parent left a student said, “Ms. M, you owe *Sam an apology.”

“Really?” I enquired, “why?”

“Because you punished him and he has his project.”

“But he didn’t have his project this morning,” I said.

I had been having a problem in my class with students completing their homework assignments. So when I gave the last assignment I had told the students that anyone without their projects would stay inside during recess and “think about their sins” do some extra work. Unfortunately, Sam who had his homework done 99% of the time was caught up in that and had to stay inside with the other repeated offenders.

I decided I didn’t owe Sam an apology because he didn’t have his project in on time. However, I felt the eyes of the students upon me waiting as if in anticipation of what I would do. So although I didn’t feel as if I was wrong I decided that I would apologize.

“Sam I’m sorry I punished you,” I Said. Sam’s reply was something that forever etched him in this teacher’s memory. He said, “That’s okay Ms. M. You were right, I didn’t have my project.”

To this day I try not to make blanket statements to my class because somehow it always seem as if the students who appear to be less deserving get caught up in the punishment.

However, this is why the Bible tells us that we are to be ready at all times.

The day we choose not to forgive,

To hold on to anger,

To step outside the boundaries set out in His word, may be the day He calls our name.

We are not perfect so like my student we’ll get it wrong sometimes. Jason Crabb said in his song Sometimes I Cry,

sometimes I can't get it right
no matter how hard I seem to try

So on the days when we can’t seem to get it right, let’s ask Him to keep us on the right path.
 Let’s try to forgive and ask forgiveness, to live in readiness for when He shall appear.

Trusting Him,
~Bernadine~

*Student's name has been changed.