Destination? DO You Know Where you Are Going? Part Two

“Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly and he who sows bountifully will reap bountifully.  Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (II Cor. 9:6-7).

Hey gang:  And now as Paul Harvey would say: "Time, for the rest of the story”.  The Scripture of the morning, when tie bared with Luke’s words, “Give, and it shall be given to you.  They will pour into your lap a good measure – pressed down, shaken together, and running over.  For by your standard of measure it will be measures to you in return” (Luke 6:38) is the base line of Jesus words, in Mathew 25:40: “Truly I say to you, to the extent you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me”.

On the day Teddy gave Mrs. Thompson the give of a broken bracelet and a half bottle of perfume that smelled like lilac blooms, she quit teaching reading, writing, and arithmetic and began to teach children.  Teddy became very special to her mind- but more so to her heart.  As she worked with him his mind came alive.  The more she encouraged him and faster he grew.  By the end of the school year he was among he top students in her class attitude and academically. 
 

A year later she received a note under her door from Teddy: “You are still the best teacher I ever had.".  Six years later she received another note telling her he had finished high school, third in his class, and she was still the best teacher he ever had in his whole life.

Four years after that she received another letter saying that, although it had been a rough four years, he would soon graduate from college with highest honors and she was still the best teacher he had ever had.

Then, four years later, another letter came telling her he had gone even further in his education - and she was still the best teacher in the world! It was signed Dr. Theodore Stoddard. MD!

The story does not end there.  You see, there was yet another letter that spring.  Teddy said he had met this girl and was going to be married.  He explained that his father had died a couple year ago and he was wondering if Mrs. Thompson might agree to sit at the wedding in he placed that was usually reserved for the mother of the groom.

Eagerly, she said, “Yes”.  She made sure she was wearing he perfume that Teddy remembered his mother wearing on their last Christmas together.

They hugged each other, and Dr. Stoddard whispered in Mrs. Thompson’s ear, “Thank you Mrs. Thompson for believing in me.  Thank you so much for making me feel important and showing me that I could make a difference.”

Mrs. Thompson, with tears in her eyes, whispered back,  Teddy, you have it all wrong.  You were the one who taught me that I could make a difference.  I didn’t know how to teach until I met you."

We will soon celebrate fifty years, since two very young and inexperienced people received the first five boys who fit the description of Teddy into our camping program .  At the time we did not know how very fortunate we were  not to have much in the physical areas to work with.  Our dependence was totally on being spoon fed from the Throne Room of Heaven. 

As I have written this story, there has been a steady parade of faces who have passed through my memory.  I wish I could say they all turned out like Dr. Stoddard  -but such is not the case.  But we have also learned that some had to go through some additional tough times before their hearts were opened to the seeds planted in our Chapel Services and the love that was poured into them through our staff.

We will celebrate our fiftieth anniversary on June 23,2018.  Please set that date aside and plan on coming to join Eagle Village in celebrating 50 years of helping kids and families.  For information     

contact Barb at 231 832 7249 or bfrahm@eaglevillage.org.

Blessings,

Gramps