P#65279;assage is Acts 27:27-44. After two weeks in the storm, the water grows shallower. The sailors attempt to escape using the lifeboat but Paul warns the centurion about them. Paul is now the leader of the ship. Just before dawn he tells everyone to eat something, blesses the food, and they eat. At daylight they see land and head for it, hit a sandbank and begin to break up. When the soldiers prepare to kill the prisoners, the centurion intervenes. All 276 on board get to shore safely.
What are my two weeks of storm? Who do I want to kill?
In the last two weeks at my school, we have received calls from parents complaining about a new teacher.
I visited five of her classes and saw good teaching with happy, engaged students learning new things.
I saw students who had been failing now passing.
The mothers of a couple of the students who had complained demanded to know what we were going to do. But before they made the calls to us, they talked to other parents and created a storm of controversy based on the complaints of two students. The complaints had no substance.
They were simply used to the former teacher’s method and did not want to show any tolerance or acceptance or flexibility for something different.
I wanted to kill those students and especially their mothers who believed the exaggerated claims of their sons and then began backstabbing rumors before coming to me, who they should have come to immediately.
After a couple of days of prayer, I called a meeting of all the students in the new teacher’s class and told them what had happened.
Most of them were shocked that a teacher they really liked was being criticized by some of their friends.
I explained to them how rumors spread, reminded them of the character traits of integrity, courage and empathy that our school tries to train them in.
I finally told them that the school belonged to all of us#8212;me, them, their parents#8212;and that we all had to work together for better communication so that good learning could take place.
I asked them for their suggestions on how to improve our communication.
Just as Paul said to the centurion in verse 31, we all have to stay on the ship to survive. And just like the centurion said to his soldiers in verse 43, no one must be killed.
The problem is that I still want to kill those parents for their utter selfishness and caring for only their children and believing only their children’s words.
Lord, give me Paul’s spirit of unity and one-mindedness. Let me not be like the parents and look only to my selfish comfort. Help me see you in the storm you have allowed.
