"Someone stole the candy." The voice belonged to one of the children that Seneca Gospel Mission specialized in helping and teaching. At age 15, I taught a class of boys ranging in age from twelve to twenty-three.
A small crisis behind me had commandeered my attention and diverted my eyes from the two shopping bags filled with holiday candy we intended to distribute to underprivileged children. The mission had made a promise, and Mrs. Fontana had given me the responsibility to watch over the bags of goodies. Now, someone had walked off with it.
I keenly felt my failure to live up to my the trust placed in me. Then I remembered something from my pastor's sermon on Daniel the week before: "God is the one who raises up kings and puts them down."
I thought to myself, "If God can overrule in the matter of who governs great kingdoms, then surely He has power over what happens to two bags of candy. I took a couple of steps away from the knot of chattering children, got down on my knees, and I prayed.
I claimed the Bible's teaching about God's sovereignty and fervently asked Him to bring back the candy for the children. I arose from my knees, turned around, and there stood one of my students with the bags.
"Jaz, what made you bring them back?" He shrugged his shoulders and told me he just felt compelled to return them.
As with so many of my teaching experiences, I came away having learned valuable life lessons:
A small crisis behind me had commandeered my attention and diverted my eyes from the two shopping bags filled with holiday candy we intended to distribute to underprivileged children. The mission had made a promise, and Mrs. Fontana had given me the responsibility to watch over the bags of goodies. Now, someone had walked off with it.
I keenly felt my failure to live up to my the trust placed in me. Then I remembered something from my pastor's sermon on Daniel the week before: "God is the one who raises up kings and puts them down."
I thought to myself, "If God can overrule in the matter of who governs great kingdoms, then surely He has power over what happens to two bags of candy. I took a couple of steps away from the knot of chattering children, got down on my knees, and I prayed.
I claimed the Bible's teaching about God's sovereignty and fervently asked Him to bring back the candy for the children. I arose from my knees, turned around, and there stood one of my students with the bags.
"Jaz, what made you bring them back?" He shrugged his shoulders and told me he just felt compelled to return them.
As with so many of my teaching experiences, I came away having learned valuable life lessons:
- Implicit trust in the God of the Word, and
- The importance of laying out your case before Him.
No comments:
Post a Comment