"Miss, I Screwed Up"

Years ago I taught an Adaptive Behavior Class.  The class consisted of students whose behavior was so inappropriate they were not allowed to attend regular classes.  One day a new student, John was added to the class with special instructions from the administration.  He was to earn his way back to regular classes one class at a time. 

After three weeks of excellent behavior in my class I allowed him to attend one class of his choice, returning to the ABC unit at the end of the period.  On the third day of the schedule John returned muttering, "That stupid teacher."  I knew his behavior had been unacceptable so I asked what happened.  He told me.  The privilege of attending a regular class was removed for three more weeks.  When John was allowed to return to a regular class, he lasted three days before displaying inappropriate behavior.  This pattern was repeated so many times that I began to believe he would never learn what he needed to do.

One day John returned to the ABC unit with a strange look on his face.  He entered quietly and went straight to his seat where he sat silently for several minutes.  Suddenly he looked up at me and said, "Miss, I screwed up." 

I looked at my aide and asked, "Did you hear that?"  Excitedly she answered that she had heard. 

John looked at us like we had lost our minds and said, "You're happy I screwed up?" 

I explained that everyone screws up and that the only difference in the students in my class and the ones in regular classes is the ability to admit their mistakes.

What a privilege to be able to go to Christ and say, "I screwed up" knowing we will receive understanding and forgiveness. 

Confession

Now I love Christmas.  I love everything about it.  I love visiting with friends and family, spending too much money, and eating too much food.  I especially love decorating for the holidays.

Too quickly the holidays are gone and I must face the inevitable.   It is time to begin removing the signs of the festivities.  I enjoy decorating for Christmas, but I hate undecorating.  The unanswered question is--Where do I put all this stuff?  Since I ask that question every year, one would think that eventually I would learn to stop adding to my collection of Christmas mishmash.  But every year I think of something else that will enhance the ambiance.  Actually to be quite honest, I think of the addition before packing away the current year's collection.  The following year I buy more ornaments that I don't have room to store.  I know that some genius has invented wonderful plastic green or red tubs of varying sizes to store Christmas paraphernalia.  Now where does one store the tubs after packing them.  There are only so many closets in a house. 

I must confess that I am addicted to Christmas.  I simply have no restraint when it comes to Christmas.  I buy too much, cook too much, and eat too much.  However, I will not confess to enjoying the holidays too much.  If that possibility exists I haven't discovered it.  In case you are wondering what I plan to do about my addiction, the answer is nothing.  I am happily addicted to Christmas and somehow, I will store my collection--until next year.

Wonderful Christmas

Christmas 2010 has been wonderful.  Since I have retired, I had as much time as I wanted to decorate my house and I took advantage of the luxury.  We put up lights outside and filled the living room with Christmas trees in a variety of sizes.  I called it my Christmas forest.  I decorated the mantle and doorways with garland and tables with Christmas villages.

My husband was on vacation and we decided to spend the week visiting friends. We assembled small containers with homemade cookies and candy.  After making a list of  friends, we knew there was no way we could see everyone in a week.  We also knew that we would not be able to coordinate schedules with some.  We love all of our friends, but with limited time,  those that were ill or elderly were a priority. It was difficult at times to bring joy into the home knowing the likelihood that God will call some of these dear souls home before next Christmas.   God gave us the strength to be cheerful and upbeat as we looked as these beloved friends.  We tried to keep the conversation light.  Although some talked about their illness, most wanted to know about mutual friends or our plans for Christmas.

At each home as we began to leave, we joined hands and my husband prayed for God's blessings on the home and healing for the bodies.  The smiles on their faces and their pleading to return soon, made me feel ashamed that we had waited so long to visit.  They each spoke of the blessing our visit was to them.  Little did they know what a blessing they were to us. 

What did my husband and I give each other for Christmas?  Nothing purchased at a store.  Nothing to be returned or exchanged.  Nothing that can be replaced.  We gave each other a week of trying to bring joy to others only to receive more than we gave.