Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be filled.

(Matthew 5:6)
Stand and Testify - Real Hunger___________
We have the world’s greatest teacher to guide and mentor us in our classrooms, the Ancient
Shepherd, Jesus. His methodology doesn’t change from year to year with the latest research fads, yet
His materials and activities are so creative and ever changing, never old fashioned. He always serves
the same administrator (for eternity), His and our Father. He was a public, private, and home school
teacher who tutored individual students one on one and once served a classroom of over five thousand students for several days
without a chalkboard, power point presentation, public address system, or even flush toilets. He never complained and only asked His
administrator one time to change His job. This teacher, Jesus, has “schooled” me in many ways throughout my eighteen year career in
education, while serving kindergarten through college level students from Texas to South Africa. Perhaps the greatest teachers He has
used to instruct me in my career have been the students He has called me to serve.
As a career educator, now serving materially impoverished youth in South Africa, the Ancient Shepherd continues to send me
youth who inspire and instruct me, especially in the areas of courage, resilience, perseverance, and hunger. I was awestruck when I
first came to South Africa at the behavior of the children, how well behaved they were and especially how well they looked after and
cared for one another, something I had not witnessed in the public and private schools in which I taught in the United States. I watched
a group of young people wait patiently in line one day at a soup kitchen. None got out of line, tried to cut in line, or were unruly. There
was and is a deep underlying spirit of unity prevalent among the youth I observed. This is primarily because few have parents to care
for them. Most have only a single grandparent so for survival they take care of one another.
One of my students the Lord has been using to encourage and “school” me in my current teaching assignment is an eight year
old girl named Shakira. Shakira was born and lives in a Muslim family. The courage, boldness, and hunger for God in this young eight
year old child is striking and inspiring. She attends a Muslim school but was drawn by the Lord to attend the Thursday after school
mentoring and fine arts program THRIVE (THRough Innovation, Values and Education) that I am providing along with the help of
YWAM (Youth With a Mission) staff and community volunteers.
Shakira boldly asked and encouraged her mother to let her attend the Christian after school program instead of the Muslim
one provided at her own school. Due to her perseverance, her mother relented and let her come. Shakira readily learned the
discipleship and fine arts lessons that were taught. She was a human sponge of the love and learning that was offered.
The Lord gave me a lesson to teach the girls on how to problem solve and confront others with the truth, even when it is a
hard truth. I called it “peanut butter problem solving.” I first had the girls wash their hands. I then put peanut butter in the palm of their
hands and asked them to eat it which they all did, furiously licking their palms to get all the sticky gooey substance off. I then put
peanut butter on a cookie wafer and then placed another wafer on top of it to make a peanut butter cookie sandwich. I then asked them
to eat it which they did with ease. Each girl was taught that when confronting a problem with another person you need to first praise
him/her (wafer), share the truth in love (peanut butter), and then praise him/her again (wafer). Each girl was asked to think of a problem
they were facing with someone and then we role played addressing these problems.
Shakira came to me to role play. She had chosen to confront her classroom teacher who was hitting children when they got
wrong answers. (Yes this still happens in some schools.) Shakira said, “Mrs. Wheeler, you are a very good teacher but when you hit us
for missing a problem we become afraid and it is hard to learn. With your help we can learn a lot in your class this year.” I was amazed
at her boldness to address her teacher and don’t doubt that she did. She was fearless with a gift of dauntless inner strength.
Shakira immediately came to me asking me for a children’s Bible when she learned I was distributing them. She looked me
directly in the eyes and said, “I need a backpack to put it in so my father will not see it because I would get in trouble.” There was
something so deep in her eyes and soul as she spoke. It was if she understood in her heart, if not yet in her mind, that what I was
teaching her and giving her were life lines, not tools to just survive but to thrive. At one of our meetings she chose to accept Jesus as
her Savior and made a commitment to follow and seek Him.
Dear Jesus, Ancient Shepherd,
Thank you for assigning me to serve this young teacher Shakira in your classroom. Thank you for the hope and future you
have planned for her. Thank you for her reminding me of the courage and boldness I need to fulfill your will. Thank you for the lesson
she taught me about spiritual hunger and risk taking at your bidding. Lord, make me hungrier for your love, word, and obedience to you
– especially when faced with adversity where I am employed. Help me impart this same hunger to all those whom I serve. Amen
Prayer: Lord, give us spiritual hunger where we work. Continue to teach us lessons from the students we serve.
Reflection: Am I spiritually hungry where I work? Do I help impart spiritual hunger in others in my profession? What important
lessons have my students taught me this year?
Getting Real: Write in a journal or share with a colleague some of the lessons your students have taught you.
CLASSROOM LIGHTHOUSE SERIES: THE GREAT RACE (For info or prayer contact ceaihouston@sbcglobal.net.) WEEK 30