BACK-TO-SCHOOL
It’s late August and Maggie is getting ready to go back to school. Sigh… Though she likes school – it’s okay, Maggie’s free spirit is not always a fit for all teachers.
Mrs. Marvel takes Maggie shopping for her new backpack, sneakers, and first day of school outfit. Here’s what Maggie will be wearing when school opens this year: Pink knee-length bike shorts, pink glitter t-shirt with hearts, a pair of unmatched (on purpose) pink short socks, neon pink sneakers with dazzling pink twinkle lights between the sole and the base of the shoe, and she will carry her new denim backpack with five outer compartments in the most pleasing shade of pink. Maggie loves pink.
It’s here. Maggie checks her email every day to find out about her classroom assignment, and it’s finally here. Which teacher did she get? Who is in her class?
Room 111, Mrs. Phillips. The TOUGHEST teacher in the entire school. In the entire history of John F. Kennedy grammar school, there has NEVER been a stricter/meaner teacher than Mrs. Phillips. Everyone says so. Even Mrs. Marvel shuddered a little when Maggie did the big reveal.
By the time Maggie had the chance to digest this big news the snapchat convo began. One by one her friends shared their assignments. Her best friend Kelly got Mr. Wong. Her second bestie Maya got the new teacher, Ms. Temple. Only Jacqueline was in her class, and already Jacqueline’s mom was trying to get her switched.
Maggie thought about her dilemma. And then she hopped on her bike and rode to her favorite praying place, the field by the entrance of her sub-division, Clearwater Lakes. Maggie had a long conversation with God about Mrs. Phillips. When she and He were finished, Maggie felt a hundred times better. No, a thousand times better. No, a MILLION times better.
Back at her house, Maggie went straight to her Mom, who was getting her baby brother’s lunch ready. “Mommy, God told me not to worry about Mrs. Phillips.” she said happily. “Getting the strictest teacher at Kennedy is a blessing. Oh, how much I will learn this year!”
The way Maggie figured it, there would be no fooling around from the boys and girls in her class who liked to make a teacher’s life miserable – not this year. Mrs. Phillips would never put up with it. Why, Maggie would have the MOST experienced teacher in the whole school…she could ask her teacher questions and surely Mrs. Phillips would know the answers better than any other teacher in her grade. Ms. Temple just finished school herself, and Mr. Wong was young too. What a break to be in Room 111 this year!
There was one other thing that got Maggie excited about having Mrs. Phillips as her teacher. Her heart told her that Mrs. Phillips could use a friend in the classroom. It must be hard for a person to make friends when everyone is scared of them. Even (especially) an old person with a bad reputation like Mrs. P.
Maggie would not be intimidated. Maggie will reach out in kindness and love. Cuz, that’s what you do when your heart is filled with God.
By Susan Diamond
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