|
Teachable Moments
While teaching in the private and public school arenas, I had some terms my entire class knew. I hoped that by using these terms I'd give the children tools for life. They were:
You get what you get, and you don’t throw a fit.
This means to be happy with what you are given.
What should you do?
This means that you should stop and think about your situation and try and find a solution. This worked when a student came up and said, "Mrs. Doswald, my pencil broke." There there was a sharpened pencil holder nearby. I asked him, "What should you do?" He looked around and was able to find the solution on his own. Don’t be paralyzed by your problems.
Are you _______?
I used this when a child acted defeated because of name-calling. For example, a student called another student a dumbbell. The offended student cmae to tell me what happened, and I asked him "Well, are you a dumbbell?" Kids would always say no. Then I would tell them, “Why don't you go tell him that you are not a dumbbell and use nice words." The child would do just that while I was standing right behind him quietly smiling. The offender would hear the words of his victim and see me standing behind him, and the name-calling would stop. Later, in private, I would talk to the offending child.
Can you tell that I taught Kindergarten and 1st Grade? Little answers to little problems.
But are these areas applicable to adults as well? Let’s look at them.
You get what you get, and you don’t throw a fit.
Sometimes in life, we have things that happen to us that may seem unfair. And yet, we know that nothing comes to us unless it is approved by God. It could be an unwanted diagnosis, unexpected bills, or friendship issues.
I’ve learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through HIM who strengthens me.
Philippians 4:11-13
What should you do?
This happens in life when something abrupt happens. We need to trust God and take the next step.
The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.
Psalm 37:23
Are you ____________?
Finally, our identity is in Christ. We are His child first and foremost. The world can call us all sorts of names, but what is true is what God says of us.
Romans 15:7 – You are accepted.
John 15:16 – You are chosen.
1 John 1:9 – You are forgiven.
John 1:12 – You are a child of God.
Genesis 1:27 – You are made in God’s image.
And on and on it goes. Praise Him.
One last warning: Be careful how you use these terms. One Friday, after a long week of teaching, my husband and I went to dinner with the pastors and elders of our former church. We were supposed to get a back room to ourselves, but there were a few tables on the sides that were going to be used by the public.
One elder kept complaining about how we had to share the room. The complaining continued, and before I knew it, I said, “You get what you get, and you don’t throw a fit.” Suddenly, everyone became quiet. I was appalled that I said those words out loud. Then the pastor burst out laughing and said, “She’s right, gentlemen, it’s time we stopped complaining.” We ended up having a wonderful evening.
That was 25 years ago, and I’m still embarrassed.
Dorothy Doswald
Director of Children's Ministry
| 
