Dametrius caused trouble all year. But last week, he prayed to become a Christian! Then he told God, “Thank You, thank You, thank You!” That makes me so thankful that God has allowed me to teach children.
“Our teacher never gets mad at us,” one child stated with conviction.
“Yes she does,” argued another. “You can tell she doesn’t like it when we don’t listen or obey.”
“Yes,” agreed the first, “But you can also tell she still loves us and wants what’s best for us. Thank you for being the best teacher ever!”
Tough words to live up to, especially when you have a front-row seat to your own shortcomings as a teacher and role model. But even though it is awkward to listen to, doesn’t it melt your heart to hear children take the time to say thank you? They are so busy with their serious games. Their schedules are often kept so busy by loving parents who want them to experience everything.
We teach for each child, and more than that, we teach for our Loving Teacher. But at the end of Good News Club after the goodbyes have been said, when the child pulls away from his mom, comes running back to you, and says, “Thank you for teaching me about Jesus,” the preparation and occasional exasperation suddenly seem more than worthwhile.
How many times do we thank our teachers? The people who pull long hours behind the scenes to make our lives possible. How many times do we thank our pastors, friends, and role models, who may not even know how much of a difference they make? How often do we thank Jesus? He is our Loving Teacher, the One Who convicts without condemning and gives multiple second-chances?
John Stott said it well. “The Christian community is a community of the cross, for it has been brought into being by the cross, and the focus of its worship is the Lamb once slain, now glorified. So the community of the cross is a community of celebration, a eucharistic community, ceaselessly offering to God through Christ the sacrifice of our praise and thanksgiving. The Christian life is an unending festival. And the festival we keep, now that our Passover Lamb has been sacrificed for us, is a joyful celebration of his sacrifice, together with a spiritual feasting upon it.”
As Christians, we are to ceaselessly offer praise to God through Christ. This Thanksgiving, let us join our hearts together and thank God for all of the blessings He has poured out to us. Happy Thanksgiving!
