The Point Of It All

We are in our second month of the 2019-2020 school year already and it's been a terrific start. My schedule is slightly different from last year but after a couple of days, you even forget what the old one was or at least I do. All my 8th graders are brand new to me as students as are about two thirds of my juniors. (Just as a refesher, the 8th graders spend the whole year on the book of Luke and the 11th grade does a chronolgical study of the Gospels.) During the first several days and weeks of any new year, procedures and requirements are put into place, easy for returnees but an adjustment for new students. Not all procedures though have to do with quizzes, tests, or memory verses. Traditions come into play as well. One tradition we have is that the young men stand when a lady of any age enters Room 258 which doesn't happen all that often as we try to minimize any type of distractions. The second is that we TOUCH THE DOOR, or more accurately, the LUKE 18:1 sign at the top of my classroom door, when we exit. The sign went up in 2001 and has been a constant since that time. My guess is that it's been touched hundreds of thousands of times in that almost two decade period.  Just to be clear, I do clean it with a disinfectant periodically- can't spread those righteous germs around!

The reason we touch the door comes from my coaching background. We first did it with my basketball teams in Tennessee as a reminder to be UNSELFISH as the plate stated. I stole the idea from Notre Dame football- coaches borrow everything. When I was the girls' varsity coach here at WCS, I added it to our locker room where it remains to this day. But I came to the realization the same tradition would bless my non-players as well. I picked LUKE 18:1 as a constant memory to, in the teaching of Jesus, "always pray and not give up.'' I've never  made it mandatory, simply strongly encouraging the practice. I'd say about 1/2 the kids did so on a regular basis. That would be an F as a test score.

This year, I changed tactics. On the first day, I told all five classes that every time every student touches LUKE 18:1 when they leave, every student would get one point added to their grade that day and we have at least one grade per day. Guess what? After eighteen days of school, not one child has failed to touch the door, at least not when I've watched and I've watched closely. What I find is the kids remnd each other. Today, after third period, Jay held the door until the last student, a young lady named Katherine, had vacated the room, reminding each and every one of them to do their part. And true to my promise, I've added a point to each quiz and memory verse of each 8th grader and junior. I'm a man of my word.

It isn't about a point, though. I'm trying to instill a good habit into these kiddos. I'm not preseumptuous enough to believe all of them will consider what they are doing when they put their hand on that piece of plastic.... but some will. I've seen kids from previous years come by room just to touch LUKE 18:1 when they are having a bad day. It's a reminder from the past to do what we are commanded to do anyway- PRAY. When I was a kid, we often sang the hymn, The World Has Lost The Right Of Prayer, more commonly called Pray All The Time. This is the chorus:
Pray in the Morning, Pray at the Noontime, 
Pray in the Evening, Pray any time;
Pray when you’re happy, Pray when in sorrow, 
Pray when you’re tempted, Pray all the time.
Isn't that what Jesus said? ALWAYS PRAY? What a powerful protection believers have within our grasp but we often fail to use the opportunity to beseech our Father in Heaven about anything. We need a nudge sometimes gentle or otherwise. That's the point of touching the door.

Applicable quote of  the day:
Pray till prayer makes you forget your own wish and leave it or merge it in God's will.
Frederick WIlliam Robertson

God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1
E-mail me at shawley@westburychristian.org