We started basketball camp today and we missed Cassie, the young lady this story is about. She's in college now but has been in charge of the administrative part of our camp for the past several years. Cassie now has moved on to greener pastures! This is from April 19, 2013.
My Gospels classes all had a memory verse as an assignment today. It came from 1 Peter 3:15 which reads as follows:
But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect...
We discussed the meaning of the verse. We talked about how our faith cannot be simply a Sunday event but it has to be a way of life. I reminded them that wearing a cross does not make someone a Christian any more than wearing a baseball hat makes them a baseball player. We spoke about how you cannot ram the Gospel down a person's throat. After we wrote the verse out for a grade and watched a short video clip about the obligation of believers to help the poor, I had them write an in class essay covering this question:
How do you lead someone to Christ?
As they started, I gave some examples to think about, both positive and negative, that I have witnessed. We used some synonyms- bringing someone to Jesus, winning souls, etc. And then I let them write.
Cassie was not where she was supposed to be today. Let me rephrase that. Cassie was not in her normal seat during sixth period. You see, she normally sits in the second seat in the outside row. But, her laptop needed recharging and Laura, who sits in the back row next to a plug, was absent so she asked if she could sit in Laura's desk today. It's funny- we have no seating chart but the kids get so comfortable sitting in their spot they think we do. So Cassie sat in the back today and that's why she's in this story. New to WCS this year, Cassie, a terrific student and an awesome soccer player, has seamlessly become part of our school. Sitting right in front of her in her temporary seat were two young men from China. Assignments like this are difficult for them as common phrases in English don't easily translate into Mandarin. And I'm pretty sure lead someone to Christ fits into that category. I saw them whispering to each other as they grappled with the paper. I would have offered my assistance but I saw I did not need to. When I looked toward the back of the room, I saw Cassie helping them. She was very patiently explaining the assignment to these international students and she was the one who reached out. It only took a minute or two but I could tell they grasped what she said to them. They began to write and Cassie returned to her own paper. She did not make a big deal of it- I doubt any of the other students even noticed- but I made a point of thanking her after class. You see, Cassie was the very embodiment of our verse from today, especially the do this with gentleness and respect part. She was simply being herself but in her graciousness, she translated Peter's words from English into kindness which can be understood in every culture without an interpreter. We have all heard the old a picture is worth a thousand words proverb. Well, today, a word or two was worth a picture, the portrait of Christ. I think Cassie captured His essence perfectly.
Applicable quote of the day:
“The point of your life is to point to Him. Whatever you are doing, God wants to be glorified, because this whole thing is His.”
Francis Chan (from Crazy Love)
God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1
www.hawleybooks.com
E-mail me at steve@hawleybooks.com
No comments:
Post a Comment