REMEMBER

Remember those who led you, who
spoke the word of God to you and
considering the result of their
conduct imitate their faith.
Hebrews 13:7

Think back...who is the very first Sunday school teacher you remember? What is the name of the first pastor you remember standing in the pulpit of your church when you were just a kid? Who were some people in the church you may have admired as a very young person...folks you watched and observed? As a very little girl, I remember how the older ladies smelled so good from various perfumes, soaps or bath powders. Remember for a moment those church folks who smiled, handed you a piece of candy, hugged you and maybe corrected you for not behaving in church.

I said to my husband the other day when folks think of their favorite school teachers, most will leave out one of the most important teacher in their lives. I don't know all their names in each of your lives, but I know the position they held. That teacher I'm referring to is the teacher in our youngest school years who taught us how to read. There wasn't any skill taught so vital to the rest of our educational/life success. Without reading, we could go no further even in elementary school. So when I think of that teacher, I think of Miss Irene, my first grade teacher. She had also taught my mother when she was in grade school.

In church, my mind and heart goes to Nellie Barker. She was our preschool Sunday school teacher who had come from England. We loved the way she talked. Many in class couldn't yet pronounce their “r's” so called her Nellie Bawka. She was about as round as she was tall with gray hair. She loved teaching children. There were huge Bible character pictures she put up on the walls of our room. She put them halfway down the wall so we could easily see them. We didn't have fancy Sunday school literature then, but she made Bible stories live. She was a hugger and often expressed her love for us. I can remember her voice and how she would pat her sweating forehead with her handkerchief. Thank you Nellie Bawka for setting several of us on the right path of loving the Bible and Sunday school.

We are in a season of honoring moms and dads. Blessed is the person who has known nothing but godly parents who taught him or her the things of God from the very beginning of life. They were taught prayer before meals and at bedtime. A parent read Bible stories to them when young and shared things from the Scriptures as they grew through their teens. Such parents still encourage their children from the Word at appropriate times.

At our adult stage, we have a lot to look back on. We have been so blessed by all the spiritual input that has been put into our hearts and not just in our childhood years. Even during our adult years, there are teachers, preachers, Bible study leaders...all and more who have and who continue to invest in our lives spiritually. I've had several pastors and Sunday school teachers in my adult live who have enriched me in the things of God. I presently have a great pastor and Sunday school teacher who bless me on a regular basis with their teaching. I'm not the only one who is benefiting from such people of God.

Many of my remembrances in this area are already in Heaven. I believe as I continue to remember and be blessed by those folks that God sees and His rewards for those folks continue. We must remember that we are all teachers too. We may not preach a sermon or teach a Sunday school class, but people are hopefully being blessed by our lives lived and they will remember.

 Let's take a little time and think back on those who taught us so much but perhaps knew little of their own influence on us. One of the best ways to remember them would be to stop and thank our heavenly Father for each of them and their influence in our lives.

Dear Father, there is so much to remember about Your goodness in our lives. We think of Jesus giving His all for us as well as Your sweet Holy Spirit Who still ministers in our very beings. Thank You for being You in our every breath and step. Rather than our problems, may we remember what a blessed people we are. In Jesus' precious name....Amen