As the closing of the school year approaches, I decided to share this message about patience. I was a secondary educator for 42 years in Alabama and South Carolina. If I had not learned to have patience on this journey, I never would have experienced success. I did not always have the patience that I should have had, but I soon learned that every child did not learn the same, all co-workers were not going to be supportive, and some parents were going to find fault. It was through my personal, work, and church experiences that I learned to have more patience. My walk with God played the biggest role in this.
Educators, remember your purpose so that you can fulfill your calling. Always demand and show respect, and do all that you can for your students; however, continue to hold them accountable. Find some time to rest and relax so that you will be able to finish these last few days on a positive note. To the parents, continue to support your children’s teachers, administrators, and support staff, and don’t wait until the last minute to check on your child’s progress. The bottom line is to remain patient and trust the journey. As this journey nears its end for 2023-2024, please remember what it says in Ephesians 4:2 (NIV): “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.”
Just to show you how a lack of patience and understanding can bring about devastating results, read and think about the consequences in this story, “Patience” (Nirander):
“A man came out of his home to admire his new truck. To his puzzlement, his three-year-old son was happily hammering dents into the shiny paint of the truck. The man ran to his son, knocked him away, and hammered the little boy’s hands into pulp as punishment. When the father calmed down, he rushed his son to the hospital. Although the doctor tried desperately to save the crushed bones, he finally had to amputate the fingers from both the boy’s hands.
“When the boy woke up from the surgery and saw his bandaged stubs, he innocently said, ‘Daddy, I’m sorry about your truck.’ Then he asked, ‘But when are my fingers going to grow back?’
“The father went home and committed suicide. Think first before you lose your patience with someone you love.” Always abound in the faith, and never leave home without Him!
