You Must be Kidding!

 

Friday, May 31, 2013

"If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free"  (John 8:31b-32).

Hey Gang:  How many out there know that God is being attacked in our education systems?  Each day we read, or hear, of ridiculous things such as kids being expelled for pointing their finger towards the stars or closing their eyes prior to a test and seeking God’s power of recall. 

I ran across a very neat story, from my archives of yesteryear, that I think you will find interesting.  It centers on a teacher applicant's interview.  At the completion of the interview, the teacher prospect said, "Let me see if I've got this right: "You want me to go into a room with all those kids, correct their disruptive behavior, observe them for signs of abuse, monitor their dress habits, censor their T-shirt messages, and instill in them a love for learning?

You want me to check their backpacks for weapons, wage war on drugs and sexually transmitted diseases, and raise their sense of self-esteem and personal pride.  You want me to teach them patriotism and good citizenship, sportsmanship and fair play, and how to register to vote, balance a checkbook, and apply for a job!

You want me to check each head or lice, recognize signs of antisocial behavior, and make sure that they all pass the state exams.

You want me to provide them with an equal education regardless of their handicaps, and communicate regularly with their parents by letter, telephone, newsletter, and report card.

You want me to do all this with a piece of chalk, a blackboard, a bulletin board, a few books, and a big smile, and a starting salary that qualifies me for food stamps.  "You want me to all this and then you tell me.....I CANT PRAY!"

A question was posed to a group of seniors who had completed their obligations for graduation and were awaiting the arrival of commencement.  The question: "Why are honesty and integrity key factors in success in our day and age?'  The answer that gained the top billing was as follows:

"When you are honest, your life and situations are far less complicated, it frees you up in a manner of speaking -when you are deceptive and lie, you generally will have to tell other lies to cover the original, making your life much more complicated.  If you are asking for the Biblical definition, it means that having the true knowledge of God will set you free, make your life easier, less complex, and gives you peace of mind."

Sooooo, young and aspiring warriors, let this old duck pass along a few words of wisdom that have worked pretty well for me.  My first advice is, ‘Be willing to do what others are not willing to do.’  If you place this adage at the top of your work criteria, you will always be employed.  Second, ‘Be willing to work hard and with quality, even when the boss is out of the building.’  You will find justification for these two principles in Proverbs and Ecclesiastes and other places throughout the Word.  

Have a good day.

 Blessings,

Gramps

PS Nine years later!! Our culture has continued to saddle teacher with often harmful ‘things to teach.’  Meanwhile, reading, writing, thinking, and arithmetic do not have the same precedence - as seen when comparing the US with world educational standings. Gma