“The Chiseler”

Dear Teacher,  

Two weeks ago, fellow Adventist, Terry Howard, was cutting up a large tree that had fallen in a recent ice storm.  In the hopes that he could expand his firewood pile for the ensuing winter, Terry attacked the oak with gusto -- cutting it into log-sized pieces.  Amidst his efforts, however, Terry's chainsaw blade hit a barrier, causing all work to come to a dead stop.  "What could the problem be?" Terry wondered.

Terry decided to try several other tools -- an axe, a hatchet, a hand saw -- yet nothing worked.  Finally, with all his efforts failing to yield success, Terry resorted to painfully chiseling through the wood, chip by chip, to unpack the issue.  There, buried deep in the center, he discovered a Civil War canon ball!  Dating back over 150 years was the evidence of a battle that had occurred right there in his own woods.  After having been hit and damaged, this majestic oak determined to recover, surrounding the trauma with new growth and expanding outwards and upwards.  

And you, Teacher, there in your classroom, often find that your efforts hit a barrier.  Everything stops -- instruction, routine, and procedures -- come to a dead halt.  You wonder 'What could the problem be?"  

So, with all your tools, you try everything: Behavioral interventions, psychoeducational assessments, parent-teacher conferences, and one-on-one instruction.  Yet, it's only after painfully chiseling to a child's deep center that you're able to unpack the trauma caused by internal wounds.  Despite the student having been hit and damaged, you continue to love, care, and support so to bring healing, growth, and recovery so your student can expand outwards and upwards.

Chiseling with you,
Mindy
Christian Educator & School Counselor