{"id":1541,"date":"2011-09-01T05:05:47","date_gmt":"2011-09-01T09:05:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/simplelife\/?p=1541"},"modified":"2011-09-05T10:04:47","modified_gmt":"2011-09-05T14:04:47","slug":"redemption-part-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/simplelife\/2011\/09\/redemption-part-1.html","title":{"rendered":"Redemption–Part 1"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>While I’ve always had a love affair with the English language, redemption is one of my favorite words. \u00a0It speaks of strength, firmness, character, kindness, forgiveness and compassion.<\/p>\n

When I was much younger, I taught Vacation Bible School with Marsha, a woman known for her firmness. \u00a0If she thought that she was right (and she usually was), she didn’t mind telling off the governor of the state. \u00a0Marsha loved strict guidelines. \u00a0She saw that each child was lovingly but firmly taught what their boundaries were. \u00a0<\/p>\n

Those were the days of two week VBS. \u00a0Cooped up in that classroom with 25 children for three to four hours each day for ten days, you came to know the people you worked with pretty well. \u00a0The first day, it appeared that Marsha would give no one any slack.<\/p>\n

But the first week wasn’t over until I became acutely aware that there was an exception to her rules–her son, Johnny. \u00a0Johnny was allowed to break many of the rules which she meticulously enforced with the other children. \u00a0He coud go to the bathroom even if it weren’t break time–exactly 10:13AM. \u00a0Jouhhy could not seem to control his temper and he was premitted to show outbursts of anger that would’ve sent a lesser child to the corner. \u00a0He was immature for second grade.<\/p>\n

The other children seemed to understand Johnny. \u00a0They didn’t resent the flagrant bending of the rules where he was concerned. \u00a0They even encouraged Marsha’s favoritism. \u00a0I wasn’t as understanding. \u00a0When he snatched the picture of Zacheus from my hands and pressed the last green crayon down so hard that it broke from the pressure, my tolerance snapped.<\/p>\n

As I look back, I realize that Johnny probably bordered on intellectual disabilities. \u00a0He was certainly within the autistic spectrum. \u00a0Extremely bright in some areas, he obviously had learning disabilities in other areas which left him frustrated and angry. \u00a0Additionally, he was extremely hyperactive. \u00a0Forty years ago, when I was teaching this class, those weren’t things which were recognized or treated.<\/p>\n

After Johnny tore the picture from my hand, I could no longer hold my concern. After the children had been dismissed for the day, I’d fumed while I rearranged the chairs setting up the room for the next morning. \u00a0Finally, I approached Marsha. \u00a0As usual, she was in the corner fussing over Johnny. \u00a0I asked to speak to her alone. \u00a0We went into the adjourning room.<\/p>\n

“How can you justify treating Johnny so differently from the other children? \u00a0He’s allowed to come and go as he pleases. \u00a0It seems that every rule was made just so he can break it. \u00a0You wouldn’t let any other child in this church act like he does. \u00a0I don’t believe it’s fair.”<\/p>\n

Marsha fingered the papers stacked in the corner. \u00a0Her eyes were lixed on the pile of papers. She was expressionless. \u00a0“You’re right,” she conceded. \u00a0“I am different with Johnny because Johnny is different. \u00a0He is not capable of as much pressure as other children his age. \u00a0That is the reason I’m teaching this class, I want him to be as normal as possible but without having to perform perfectly.\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

She raised her head and looked my square in the eye. \u00a0“I see to it that he performs up to the level he can. \u00a0I know my son. \u00a0He wants to obey. \u00a0He doesn’t want to be angry. \u00a0He just can’t.” \u00a0Picking up her teacher’s manual, she said with the firmness that only a distraught, protective mother can display, “I know Johnny’s heart. He does the best he can.”<\/p>\n

I walked away with a new appreciation for God’s redemption that I’d seen exhibited through Marsha. \u00a0God sees our potential, as well as our deficits. \u00a0After that day, each time I saw Johnny, I saw myself–breaking crayons and yanking pictures from the hands of others. \u00a0But thanks to Marsha, I understand God’s redemptive power working in my life, through his great love.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

While I’ve always had a love affair with the English language, redemption is one of my favorite words. \u00a0It speaks of strength, firmness, character, kindness, forgiveness and compassion. When I was much younger, I taught Vacation Bible School with Marsha, a woman known for her firmness. \u00a0If she thought that she was right (and she…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":387,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,20,3,182,40,186,49,16,8,263,12,4,41],"tags":[690,21,688,696,7,699,715,701,694,689,724,692,6,700],"class_list":["post-1541","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-christianity","category-church","category-developmental-disabilities","category-disability","category-faith","category-hope","category-inspiration","category-intellectual-disability","category-mentally-challenged-community","category-redemption","category-religion","category-simple-truths","category-spirituality","tag-autism-spectrum","tag-christian","tag-christianity","tag-church","tag-developmental-disabilities-2","tag-faith","tag-hope","tag-inspiration","tag-intellectual-disability","tag-mentally-challenged-community","tag-redemption","tag-religion","tag-simple-scriptural-truths","tag-spirituality"],"yoast_head":"\nRedemption-Part 1 - A Simple Life, a Childlike Faith<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/simplelife\/2011\/09\/redemption-part-1.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Redemption-Part 1 - A Simple Life, a Childlike Faith\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"While I’ve always had a love affair with the English language, redemption is one of my favorite words. \u00a0It speaks of strength, firmness, character, kindness, forgiveness and compassion. 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