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The little girl wept bitterly as she remembered what had happened. The afternoon had brought a knitting lesson. The girl, left handed, just could not do it, and, summoning all her courage, had asked for help. The teacher, frustrated and angry, had thrown the knitting onto the floor. Landing, and then sliding beneath the heavy desk, the knitting was now within sight but out of reach. The teacher, blaming the girl, just shouted at her, demanding the impossible, that the girl pick it up.
This teacher, who ruled supreme from behind her desk, could be cruel and unfeeling. Bitter words could flow from her mouth, damaging hearts, perhaps forever.
Our little girl’s worst moment came on a day when she desperately needed the toilet. Not daring to ask permission to leave the room, the girl bunched her fists, and used them to push her skirt hard between her legs, seeking to stem the flow. She was unsuccessful. Later, when she stood, her once beautifully pleated skirt was creased and damp. Humiliated, she travelled home to face the music from her mother.
The little girl is now a grown up teacher. Aware, every day, of the importance of the words she speaks and decisions she makes, she loves her students, and prays that God in His grace will enable her to bring life and love to these young lives. As she types these words, however, she is reminded of the need to forgive her teacher from many years ago, that God may extend His grace to her, also.
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