Saturday I attended a teacher's conference at our church.  I was dreading it, to be honest.  I have been to dozens and dozens of those things throughout the years--you have to go because the educational director expects you to be there, but they are usually so very boring.  Well, pleasant surprise.  This one was really good.  We had a great speaker.  Eric Dabney.  He was funny, inspirational, genuine and not at all "churchy."

He told a story about when he was teaching first grade at a public school.  (The point of his story was that you shouldn't be quick to judge people.)  Seems that he had a little six year old girl in the class that had been suspended the year before (in kindergarten!!!) for getting into a fight on the playground and beating the stuffing out of a little boy.  Eric couldn't help but wonder what he was going to do with her if she caused trouble.

So, naturally, as a teacher, he was concerned when she started crying that someone had stolen her scissors.  One of the boys in the room pointed to another little girl who was stuffing something into her backpack and said, "She did it.  She stole the scissors."  That little girl crawled under her chair and curled up in a ball--afraid she was going to get beaten up.

But the child who had the reputation for being suspended  went over and crawled under the thief's desk and said, "I forgive you.  Let's be friends."  Many times, we are guilty of judging people based on what they have done in the past instead of being ready to give them a chance for a fresh start.

When I used to teach at Falls Creek, I would face a pavilion full of seniors and know that every problem a child could possibly have was present in the lives of the young people facing me.  I couldn't solve their problems, but I could introduce them to a God who could.

The best I could do was be well prepared, make the subject interesting, and exhibit kindness.  After I was through teaching, there would always be someone in the group who would stand around waiting--until every one else was gone--to talk to me.  Some of the best teaching I ever did was listening.  Just listening.