Matthew 5:8-9
“You’re blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world.
“You’re blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That’s when you discover who you really are, and your place in God’s family.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
Greg and I watched a news report about I Wish My Teacher Knew…How One Question Can Change Everything for Kids*, a book written by third-grade teacher Kyle New of Denver, Colorado. Knew wrote the sentence “I wish my teacher knew…” on the board one day in her third grade classroom and asked her students to complete it. What resulted was astounding and led to this book by the same name. As I listened to some of the sentence endings, read by young children, I was moved to tears. They ranged from “I wish my teacher knew how much I love her,” to “I wish my teacher knew that I don’t have very many friends” and “I wish my teacher knew that my dad works two jobs and I don’t get to see him very much.”
Oh.My.Goodness! We have SO much work to do! As much as we think we know about “children” of all ages…there is so much we do not understand. We don’t know what is in another person’s mind and heart. We don’t understand the conflicts, angst, insecurities – or even the running dialogue that plays in the minds of so many around us…maybe even you! We seldom stop to look at others in the grocery line or on the street and think that they have just as many thoughts, ideas – and problems – as you and I have on any given day.
Many people skate through life hoping that nobody discovers who they really are - or what they really think or feel. But God knows all of it…and He loves us anyway. So can’t we learn to emulate Him just a little? Can’t we get our heart and mind right and see others as He sees them - as His children… beautifully crafted and designed…valuable and full of purpose? Can’t we find a way to cooperate with others…to empathize and understand…to share and get along instead of the operating in the horrible divisive words and actions that so many of us have chosen as our stock in trade?
I look at our own children…and the other little ones I spend time with at church and school…and I wonder what they must think. What must they be learning from so many of us? Too many children are seeing hatred, discrimination, criticism, judgment based on everything from appearance and body image to ethnicity and economics - and a revolting atmosphere of unkindness like none I’ve ever witnessed before. They are observing adults who attend worship on Sundays, teach Bible classes, sing in the choir, and espouse “Christian values”…then call others ugly names as they talk about current events – and make excuses for comments and behaviors that would embarrass even the most raucous teenager!
God must surely hang His head in shame and disappointment. I am truly amazed that He puts up with any of us! And yet, He is calling us to purify our hearts and minds…to get along and cooperate with others…to operate in HIS blessings rather than the devil’s disturbing ploys to derail us. And He is willing to help us “get there!”
God is calling us to stop and ponder the comment, “I wish my teacher/friend/relative/spouse/pastor/neighbor knew…” and put ourselves in the other person’s shoes. While we cannot know all that GOD knows…we can develop a tender heart for His children…ALL of them. Today seems like a pretty good time to get started…doesn’t it?
©2016 Debbie Robus
*http://iwishmyteacherknewbook.com/
“You’re blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world.
“You’re blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That’s when you discover who you really are, and your place in God’s family.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
Greg and I watched a news report about I Wish My Teacher Knew…How One Question Can Change Everything for Kids*, a book written by third-grade teacher Kyle New of Denver, Colorado. Knew wrote the sentence “I wish my teacher knew…” on the board one day in her third grade classroom and asked her students to complete it. What resulted was astounding and led to this book by the same name. As I listened to some of the sentence endings, read by young children, I was moved to tears. They ranged from “I wish my teacher knew how much I love her,” to “I wish my teacher knew that I don’t have very many friends” and “I wish my teacher knew that my dad works two jobs and I don’t get to see him very much.”
Oh.My.Goodness! We have SO much work to do! As much as we think we know about “children” of all ages…there is so much we do not understand. We don’t know what is in another person’s mind and heart. We don’t understand the conflicts, angst, insecurities – or even the running dialogue that plays in the minds of so many around us…maybe even you! We seldom stop to look at others in the grocery line or on the street and think that they have just as many thoughts, ideas – and problems – as you and I have on any given day.
Many people skate through life hoping that nobody discovers who they really are - or what they really think or feel. But God knows all of it…and He loves us anyway. So can’t we learn to emulate Him just a little? Can’t we get our heart and mind right and see others as He sees them - as His children… beautifully crafted and designed…valuable and full of purpose? Can’t we find a way to cooperate with others…to empathize and understand…to share and get along instead of the operating in the horrible divisive words and actions that so many of us have chosen as our stock in trade?
I look at our own children…and the other little ones I spend time with at church and school…and I wonder what they must think. What must they be learning from so many of us? Too many children are seeing hatred, discrimination, criticism, judgment based on everything from appearance and body image to ethnicity and economics - and a revolting atmosphere of unkindness like none I’ve ever witnessed before. They are observing adults who attend worship on Sundays, teach Bible classes, sing in the choir, and espouse “Christian values”…then call others ugly names as they talk about current events – and make excuses for comments and behaviors that would embarrass even the most raucous teenager!
God must surely hang His head in shame and disappointment. I am truly amazed that He puts up with any of us! And yet, He is calling us to purify our hearts and minds…to get along and cooperate with others…to operate in HIS blessings rather than the devil’s disturbing ploys to derail us. And He is willing to help us “get there!”
God is calling us to stop and ponder the comment, “I wish my teacher/friend/relative/spouse/pastor/neighbor knew…” and put ourselves in the other person’s shoes. While we cannot know all that GOD knows…we can develop a tender heart for His children…ALL of them. Today seems like a pretty good time to get started…doesn’t it?
©2016 Debbie Robus
*http://iwishmyteacherknewbook.com/
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