"Precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little and there a little." Isaiah 28:10
"Precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little and there a little." Isaiah 28:10
I had been feeling a sense of failure, as although I knew spiritually I was growing, it seemed as though I had not made much progress with certain difficulties health wise in my life and therefore, I doubted whether I should continue to be a Sunday-School teacher, thinking that perhaps I was not a very good role model.
I loved being in Sunday-School and had taught for several years, but each week as Sunday approached my feelings of inadequacy made teaching a burden rather than a labour of love, in my anxiety that I was simply not good enough. The lessons seemed long and I was certain that others were doing so much better at guiding our pupils in learning to love and live Christian Science and thought that maybe I should resign as a teacher.
I received loving support from a Christian Science Practitioner and in our ensuing conversation, told her of an experience in Sunday-School. One of our pupils, David, since babyhood although affectionate and lovable, seemed hyperactive and quite disruptive at times, using inappropriate language and having an overactive imagination on subjects unsuitable for Sunday-School. David seemed at times to be unhappy, and unable to fit it. The Sunday-School Committee prayed to appreciate David’s perfection as a child of God, and see in him what God sees. However it was decided that because of David’s seeming inability to settle quietly without disturbing the other pupils’ concentration and enjoyment, and the fact that no-one felt able to cope with having him in their class, he was taught separately on a one-to-one basis. He was not very happy about this, but it appeared to be the only solution.
When David reached the age of nine, I noticed he was becoming good friends with none of the pupils in my class, who at one time seemed almost afraid of him, but now had begun to appreciate in particular, David’s good sense of humour. The two boys were developing a good rapport, and consequently we felt that David should now have a chance to be with the other children. I felt happy for him to join in with my class. He was highly delighted!
As it is the 400th year of the King James Bible, I have decided that in recognition of this, each week I will write for the children in simple words, the story of each of the Bible characters and how, despite often enduring great hardships, doubt and fear, these were overcome through the characters’ spiritual strength and enduring love for God. We link the stories with the weekly Lesson, and our daily lives. The children have responded with enthusiasm, participating with questions and answers, and our weekly Sunday-School sessions, although still very lively, have become inspiring and joy filled. David in particular loves to take home a copy of each story for his Sunday-School file. Yes, I do have to be quite firm at times when things get too lively, but this is generally as a result of over enthusiasm for what we are discussing, which I see as a blessing. I now find that as Sundays approach, my confidence is growing and I look forward with eager anticipation of the little gems that I know we will discover together in our class each week. The lessons now seem too short!
The Practitioner reminded me that failure was impossible and should never for one moment be entertained in thought. As Hymn 247 in the Christian Science Hymnal states; “Ye shall not faint, ye shall not fail; In Spirit ye are strong; Each task divine ye still shall hail, and blend it with a song”.