The shrill recess bell rang and we were off to the playground, leaving all thoughts of learning behind us. Close your eyes and you can see it all again, kids running in all directions to their favorite place of play. The monkey bars were a favorite of the girls and the basketball court is where most of the boys headed. You can hear the loud chatter and laughter all again. Remember?
As the bell rang once more, this time signaling it was time to go back in, we obediently obeyed its call and returned to our classrooms; it was time to resume learning. It’s probably doubtful we even thought of it as learning – it’s just what we did. Eventually report card day came around and we had to take our grades home to our parents. Some of us were proud of our accomplishments and others of us tried to figure out how to hide that one bad grade. It wasn’t our fault we did so poorly; our excuse was that the teacher didn’t like us. We rehearsed our speech on the way home. It didn’t work – we were in trouble. We didn’t think it was fair to be graded or judged; after all we tried our best. Now there would be no more playing after school, we had to study more; we had to be tutored. We had to learn!
Those extra hours spent doing homework seemed more like a punishment, especially when our friends called us to come out and play. But mom and dad reminded us how important it was to learn, so learn we did.
Most of us have one favorite teacher that we remember. We don’t remember these teachers because they crammed history or math into our heads. No, we remember them because they were kind and let us know that they really cared about us – cared about us as individuals. For these special teachers we really did try our best and we did our best.
Time, as it always does, passed by and graduation day finally came. We did it, we made it, and our parents beamed as we received our diplomas. And although we may not have been aware of it, somewhere our special teachers smiled at our success and thought, “well done.”
Not much has changed today. The game of Jax or baseball on the empty lot up on the corner has given way to video games and cell phones. But still the learning goes on. Still the local school is the learning center. And we, now the parents, still do our best to tutor our children.
Although reading, writing and arithmetic remain the basics for making our way in this world, just think about all that we have learned without even realizing it. We have learned how to socialize, how to share, how to care, and even how to teach. We have explored new frontiers of science and space. What an amazing computer God has given us to use. No, not the one we call a laptop but the one we call our brain. This is our true learning center.
Have you ever considered where all knowledge comes from? God, who created us, has given us the most important book of all. Within its pages are the keys to life and happiness. Perhaps you have never read it or maybe you have no interest in finding out what it says. How can you make a judgment on something you have never read? You wouldn’t do that.
Within the pages of the Bible, you will learn from the greatest teacher of all. This teacher cares about us far more than any of our schoolteachers ever could. It has been almost 2000 years ago that the one the Jews called teacher, walked the dusty roads around the area of Galilee. You can learn all about who he was, and still is, in the four books that are called the Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Gospel simply means “Good News.” Good news is what this man gave to all of us. His name is Jesus.
Did you know that within the pages of the Bible you will find the answers to eternal life? Who wouldn’t want that? Instead of punishment because you got a bad grade in life, you instead are given forgiveness. All you have to do is ask. If you do your homework and follow the instructions written there you will be given a wonderful reward. It may not be an ice cream cone like you got from your parents for earning a good report card, but it will be something far better and much longer lasting. Your reward will be a heavenly home. And who knows, there could even be ice cream there too. You might look at it as the greatest recess of all. Pleasure? Yes. Joy? Yes. Love? Unspeakable! What about scraped knees or broken arms? Never. There are no tears in heaven. And what is so exciting is that if you follow him, you will one day here him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant!” Matthew 25:21
Stop in at your local library and check it out… or order it over the Internet. You have nothing to lose and “everything to gain” … Happy Learning!