Pearls

I must share a bit off the subject of the Great Caymans, but one of my coaches used to say to me, "Walden share a pearl of wisdom with the group." of course at that point in my life I din't have any wisdom so he would be qick to give us a lesson in life, one of his pearls of wisdom.

Take Spelling for an example. Spelling is highly over rated unless someone reads your stuff and says "good grief and he's in education!" Well, yes I am but I work in life acts and not in just words. Today was a successful day if not for only one thing, William "the 4th grader." This is William's second day as the alternative school. Yesterday he didn't get to school till after 10:00 Am because it took the police that long to catch him. Yep, he was run run running. When they finally got him they put him on a bus and brought him to me. William is about 4'8" but at least 100 pounds. Now I don't know what that says about the Jackson Police who were chasing him, but if he trips he has a good roll ahead of him before he stops. Could not get him to go to class. Just wouldn't and I ended up cuffing him to a pole in the gym, "the guest house." He really wasn't a problem but i couldn't take a chance that he would run off and get hurt. Today he came in around 9:00 AM and I sent him to the social workers. Hopefully one of those ladies who take him on as child of theirs for the time he would be with us and all would be fine. NOPE! NOPE! NOPE!! Less than an hour latter security brought him to me because he wouldn't go to class. Now get this picture. I'm sitting at my desk, William is standing in front of my desk, security has the handcuffs out ready to apply some loving on him, and two social workers are standing in the door, I guess to see what i would do. The air was tense and I began to beg William to please not make me do to him what i was going to have to do to him. "please don't make me be that other person, that has to handle problems in ways I don't like." You can read into that what ever you want, but I played the Daddy card. You know the one where you act loving till you have to beat the hell out of them card. Thank God I haven't gotten to that point yet but I do have a way of leaving an impression. "Let's make a deal. Just go to class and be good till lunch and then you can come back to see me and we'll talk." OK, lunch is about 2 1/2 hours away and then 4th graders go to gym. So I figured William would make it till lunch and then want to go to PE and by that time he would have made a friend and be OK for the rest of the day. Now I should have sold tickets to this because we have move from big assistant principal vs little round 4th grader to yes sir and no sir! The three people around the two of us were catching flies with their open mouths and I know one of them was in attend hoping I would fell with William.


Today success was not measured in whether a noun matched a verb or if "i" came before "e" but in a small change in a little 4th grader and a little patience. Jesus had a special place in his heart for the little children. For me success today was getting to be Jesus like for a few minutes with William. AND THAT MY FRIENDS IS THE BOTTOM LINE AND A MOST ASTONISHING MIRACULOUS THING.

(By the way you don't have to check the spelling on those two words.)