Sunday, December 30, 2018

The Impact

Jesus told the Parable of the Sower, also known as the Parable of the Soils, in which the soils stand for the types of hearts of those who hear the Word. Teachers think they know who is what soil- we don't. This is from April 2, 2010.

In two weeks, I'll be preaching the wedding of Dennis and Sarah. Sarah was my middle school basketball manager, a prize student in my class on two occasions, and one of the sweetest young ladies you can find. I'm in the process of putting the finishing touches on the ceremony. One thing I do is have the parents write down some memories of their children growing up and I have the couple send me reflections on their courtship. I then weave these reminiscences into a story of the about-to-be-newly-weds. When Dennis' mother sent me her remembrances, she included a fascinating, to a teacher, snippet about how her son chose a college. When he was in fourth grade, Dennis had his first male teacher, a Mr. Divin. This gentleman was a graduate of Texas A+M and from that time forward, Dennis had his heart set on becoming an Aggie. His mom told me Dennis even wanted to buy Mr. Divin an A+M leather jacket for Christmas but due to financial considerations, settled for a tie that played the A+M fight song. Fast forward to 2008 when the not-so-young anymore Dennis Rees graduates from the university in College Station, another landmark in a career that is already skyrocketing.


The great thing about teaching is that you never know what is penetrating the minds of kids. The scary thing about teaching is that you never know what is penetrating the minds of kids. This week, my eighth graders talked about Jesus' grave warning to anyone who causes a child to stumble. On the other hand, you know the Savior must be smiling broadly when an adult heads a little one towards the right path in life. Who knows if the aforementioned Mr. Divin knows his impact on a youngster named Dennis who sat in his classroom some fourteen years back? Whether he knows or not, that influence will last for a lifetime and will undoubtedly carry over to the children of Sarah and Dennis. My guess is the Rees kids will be wearing A+M pajamas. Gig 'em!


Applicable quote of the day:
"The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.''
William Arthur Ward


God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1
E-mail me at steve@hawleybooks.com

3 comments:

Debbie said...

what a wonderful way to make the wedding personal. Loved the inspiration for teachers..there is no greater thing to do then pour your heart into kids!

Anonymous said...

EASTER GREETINGS FROM THE OLD GEEZER

I PRAY YOU AND YOUR FAMILY HAVE A BLESSED DAY CELEBRATING RESURRECTION SUNDAY.

HE IS RISEN!

GOD BLESS YOU, RON

RHYTHM AND RHYME said...

Hope the wedding goes off without a hitch, a lovely time of the year to get wed.
Thanks for a lovely post to read,enjoyed very much.

Yvonne.