Shepherds and Report Cards

To be Christian surely is to be teachable. Our daily lessons are not on an invisible chalkboard dangled down from heaven by God, but are those which can arrive even before we have had our first cup of coffee. One of mine came as an invitation from a first grade boy in my neighborhood who said to me, "P-trisha, come to Church this morning because I am a shepherd and I get to hold the only staff of all the shepherds !!" That morning he taught me the joy of inviting someone to Church because something exceptional is going to happen.

Our lessons are given to us through other people and we choose to make opportunities to give teachable lessons out too. My sister wrote that the report cards were handed out today and one of the girls in her class came to her upset because she thought she had made an F, a failing grade on the report card. Margaret gently showed her that the F was not a grade, but the indication that she is a female. All of us make mistakes, some more humorous than others. I hope one day that girl will remember my sister's kind way of teaching her and imitate my sister's way of how to correct someone else.

You are teachable and you have a winning witness as you try to understand and to really love one another. When you know God, you try and do what is right in His sight. It is because of Christ that you take the Way of constancy and love. Love leads to forgiveness. A man said to John Wesley, "I never forgive." Wesley responded, "Then I hope sir that you never sin." Forgiveness allows you to begin with love and common sense as you face others' differences. Forgiveness shows that Jesus has been teaching you.