10As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.11If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever.
Today, we concentrate on students returning to classes, as they learn and grow, stimulating their minds and learning how to develop and use their unique talents. And, for Christian students, we can help them identify their God-given resources in order that they may serve Him effectively. For teachers and administrators, we recognize how they are pursuing their respective callings in order to make a significant impact on the children who are entrusted to their care. We can make it our aim as believers in Christ to be lifelong learners, to grow in the knowledge of Christ and the appropriation of His truth, so that through our attitude of service, He may be exalted in us and fulfill His purpose through us.
In Matthew chapter 20, James and John were jockeying for position among the 12 disciples, and they had even enlisted their mother's assistance in trying to gain a prime spot:
25But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them.26But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister;27And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:28
Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto , but to minister , and to give his life a ransom for
many.
For students and educators across the River Region, this marks that magical day when classes resume at a number of schools - some have already gone back-to-school, and I would imagine there are very few that will be returning after this week. And, whatever happened to the days when I was in school that I had until Labor Day to enjoy my summer?
Today I want to call attention to teachers and one particular teacher who demonstrates to us how we can use our gifts and talents for God's glory. First of all, a prayer for teachers that has been posted on
Facebook - keep in mind that this was posted as teachers returned to their respective schools almost 2 weeks ago:
Pray for the teacher as she looks at her summer to do list; she might not’ve had a vacation or success in taking care of needs.
Pray for the teacher as she needs to be refreshed and healthy; her summer may’ve included loss, grief, disappointment, or trial.
Pray for the teacher as she has concerns about how her relationships will change with the school year starting: daycare, marriage, family, needy children.
Pray for the teacher as she gets her classroom ready; she may have to move rooms, may not have supplies yet, or might have issues to address.
Pray for the teacher as she attends staff development and meetings; she may have requirements to meet or assignments to finish.
Pray for the teacher as she re-connects with fellow staff & faculty; some working relationships might be challenging.
Pray for the teacher as she sorts through curriculum; a change in grade level, publisher, or requirements can be difficult.
Pray for the teacher as she begins to do her planning; teachers have so much to pack in, and the unexpected will enter in.
Pray for the teacher as she receives information about her students; she needs openness, insight, wisdom, and compassion.
Pray for the teacher as she meets a whole new group of parents; parent relationships are crucial to the success of students & teachers.
Every teacher is a real person who goes to the grocery store, does laundry, has dinner with friends, cries, hurts, and worries.
She needs the Kleenex and the hand sanitizer, but most of all, she needs your prayers.
One particular teacher who has made a tremendous difference in the lives of literally thousands of students grew up in Alabama and moved to North Georgia, where her father had given her large piece of land. On
that land, she built a small school and began to teach Sunday School classes.
Her interest in opening a school began when she started telling stories and reading to three mountain children who she happened to pass by her home one Sunday. “On this particular Sunday afternoon, I was in a little cabin which I had fitted up as my ‘den’ enjoying, all alone, the freshness and delight of the spring beauty and blossoms by which I was surrounded. I suddenly became aware of three little faces peering in at me from the window”. These children were shy when she tried to get them to speak. “She tempted them with apples and got them to come in and read them bible stories because they had never heard of them before”. “She told them to come back the next Sunday and to bring along all of their brothers and sisters".
She taught these children in a cabin that eventually grew more with boys, fathers, mothers, and babies, who sat on chairs, boxes, and basically whatever was available. She continued to tell stories from the bible and played a small melodeon, singing hymns to the crowd. Because many of the people could not read, she would say a line from the book of hymns and the group would sing it.
She began traveling several miles each week visiting people who lived near her, trying to teach them how to help themselves. She realized that most of the young children of the people she was helping would not be able to attend school. She also saw women that looked twice as old as they really were because of their poor living and working conditions. She became frustrated when she saw this because she felt like there was nothing she could do to help them. Though she was helping to teach their children how to sing and telling them stories, the children were not learning how to read and write, which contributed to the low education rate of the rural south.
She decided to teach the children things that would benefit them in their daily lives, and decided to make the school into a boarding school - she started with a boys' school and then expanded to girls. At both of these schools, she offered a high school-level education to the boys and girls who were willing to study hard and be focused in their school work as well as working on the school campus. "Her teachings focused on the ‘hands, head, and hearts’ of her students: The ability to learn and work, and the will to do both well. Her motto was and still is the motto of the college that bears Martha Berry's name, “Not to be ministered unto but to minister”.
As her legacy expanded to include a college, the focus also began to shift to raising funds for the school. She kept in contact with notables such as Theodore and Franklin Roosevelt, Andrew Carnegie, Thomas Edison, George Arliss, and one of the key benefactors of the school - Henry Ford. Because he was impressed with the quality of education at the schools, Ford donated extensively to the school and was instrumental in building a complex which included dormitories for girls - one is named after his wife, Clara and another after his mother, Mary.
We left East Mary Hall on the campus of Berry College yesterday - our oldest child, our daughter, AnnaBeth, begins classes next week as a freshman at the school.
Martha Berry, who had a love for children and is a great example of someone who used the resources God had given to her to make an impact in the lives of students.
So, we can be encouraged today by Martha Berry's legacy and realize that we have a calling on our lives, and we fulfill that calling as we allow God to touch our hearts, to illuminate our minds with His truth, and to use our hands to minister to others. Not surprisingly, Berry College has one of the nation's leading work-study programs for its students, consistent with that concept of using meaningful work to help others.
As we reflect on how our Lord has called us to serve, we can think about what resources He has given to us in order that we might bring pleasure to Him, honor to His name, and encouragement to the people whom He has called us to serve.
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