Psalm 34:11-14
Come, my children, listen as I teach you
to respect the Lord.
Do you want to live
and enjoy a long life?
Then don’t say cruel things
and don’t tell lies.
Do good instead of evil
and try to live at peace.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
In our neck of the woods, today is “Back-To-School Day”. Facebook is flooded with photos of kiddos posing in fresh new outfits with their backpacks… ready to start another year of studies. Some hold signs declaring their grade level. Others look less than thrilled to be photographed. Mommas and daddies are experiencing a mixed bag of emotions… glad to see the kids shoot out the door and back to a routine – but also sad to see how quickly they grow.
When I was teaching kindergarten, I remember the teary-eyed mothers who could hardly bear to say “Goodbye” at the door – as if their child was going off to war or something. I remember children who clung to their parent’s leg and didn’t want them to leave – as if school was a big ole scary place… and I was the Wicked Witch of the West! Somehow, it all worked out after that first morning or two. I totally “get” the jumble of feelings that parents experience when they drop off their most precious cargo and place them in the hands of virtual strangers for 7+ hours a day. We have all been so excited about our own little Timothy starting to pre-K. But at the same time, it signals a major shift in the timeline of life. It seems like once children start to school – even a pre-K – the years really begin to fly.
School is a wonderful experience for most children. School is important… the place where we hope that learning will occur in a structured, organized continuum… a setting where social skills will be honed and we learn to get along with others and find our place in society. And as I read this passage from Psalm 34 today, I thought, “This would be a great starting point for learning!” If only we could start our school year by teaching these verses! In a round-about way, I believe this will happen in many classrooms. I started my first day each year with a lesson about the “ground rules”.
I reviewed three “rules” with my students… 1) Be kind to others; 2) Work and play quietly; and 3) Respect other people’s property. This encompassed pretty much every situation that might arise. Say something cruel or tell a lie? Remember to be kind to others. Raise your voice or yell and scream? Don’t forget to work and play quietly. Take a toy, crayon or book that doesn’t belong to you – or someone else was using? Gotta respect other people’s property!
The same verses – and rules – have application for us…even long after we have finished our school careers. If we will heed the words of this passage from Psalm 34, we will have a much better shot at living in God’s peace. If we will “be kind to others, work and play quietly, and respect other people’s property” – if we will strive to do good instead of evil… God will bless us and give us a good life in Him.
I’ve said before that as a former teacher, this time of year was more my “New Year” than January 1st. So why don’t we make this a time that we resolve to pay attention to these verses in Psalm 34… to listen to the LORD, to tell the truth and be kind… and to live in a way that pleases Him and frustrates the devil. In the words of the old John Lennon song… let’s “give peace a chance” to grow in our hearts - and enjoy a long, full life in the LORD. Happy “Back-to-School Day”… may yours be blessed and filled with peace!
©2013 Debbie Robus
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