Today, we visited a congregation for the second time in our current search for a new family to worship with because of our relocation to Covington, Louisiana. The pastor spoke on a new study he kicked off today about playing games and how we play games with God even though we may not recognize that we are doing it.
His premise was that we are the product on many things that have brought us to where we are today. Our parents, and how they raised us, our family and our interactions with in the unit, our hometowns, our schools, our friends, our studies, in essence the way we interact and react within the world is due to our experience database. As he shared his comments on all of this two former teachers of mine kept flooding within my mind. One was a junior high science teacher in Lafayette, Louisiana and the other was a 10th grade biology teacher in Harvey, Louisiana. They probably never met, yet one thing they have in common is that they saw something in me that few others saw or even chose to look for. Hence, part of the reason I am where I am today is because of these two women.
In the 8th grade I was a lonely and hungry boy. I had very few friends and most adults that I crossed paths with saw nothing redeeming in my life. I was a runaway train heading for a severe wreck. I accepted failing grades and didn't worry about the future because the future was a long way off. So, after handing me another F, Mrs. Beyt said she wanted my parents to call her and gave me her phone number to give to them. I did and she and my dad talked a long time and essentially she told him I wasn't trying. So, I was grounded and my dad made me study my science with him each night until I brought my F up to a passing grade. Which I did, only to revert back to bad habits when the pressure was released, which caused another phone call and another round of studying until I brought the grade up. This went on for the whole year and on the last day Mrs. Beyt wished all of us well in high school and told us we all have the ability to succeed. Blah, blah, blah....., was what I thought at the time.
Then in 10th grade in a new city at a new school, old habits had returned and I was failing biology. Mrs. Brumfield, my biology teacher, refused to accept that this was the best I could do. She challenged me and hounded me and essentially shamed me in picking up my grade which I did from an F to an A. On the last day of class she signed my year book with the following poignant challenge. "Try and you will go far." I never had someone, especially an adult express belief in me, so this made a big impact on my life and carried me through many rainy and challenging days.
Why am I pausing to share this story about two women who only played a part in less than one year each of my life? Because they looked at me through the lens of grace. Where the band director, english teacher, and assistant principal saw a dismal failure. These two women saw a boy who needed encouragement and belief. They recognized something in me that I couldn't even see myself. So, in a way, these two women fought for me. They wouldn't surrender me to failure. They wouldn't sit on the sidelines and throw their hands in the air and say it is out of our control. They swam against the current and saved me. The others didn't necessarily want me to fail, but I wasn't worth the effort in their minds, so they shook their heads and looked the other way. But, Mrs. Beyt and Mrs. Brumfield took the extra step knowing they would probably never receive any thanks for their efforts.
Here's the thing about grace in the way these two women touched my life through it. I didn't ask for any interference or challenge from them. I was content to fail and move on to the next hurdle. Yet, grace allowed them to look into the future and say he has something to offer and as his teacher I need to bring that out somehow, and that is what they worked towards accomplishing. Grace said this person is worth fighting for, he deserves a second, third, fourth, or however many chances until he figures it out. So, grace saved me and I did not go to prison, Mr. Band Director. Nor did I do the drug scene, Mrs. English teacher. I also didn't wind up on the streets, Mr. Assistant Principal. Grace you see makes an impact in a persons life and two of your peers chose grace over judgement and it made all the difference. Forgive me my two teachers, but I want you to know that I have thought about you often during these years gone by; often! A student never forgets those who share grace with him; never. So please accept this moment of thanks for your gift of grace in my life.
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