UNIQUE
December 06, 2019
Prayer: We thank You, Lord, for Your endless creativity in our students and co-workers. Please help us delight in unique qualities and learn to appreciate what we can learn from them.
Scripture: Train up a child in the way he should go [and in keeping with his individual gift or bent], and when he is old he will not depart from it. Prov. 22:6 Amp.
Fortunate for him, he lived on a farm with acres of crops and hundreds of animals. To watch this boy with the animals was to watch a regular Dr. Doolittle! The dogs followed him around, the pigs screeched and ran to greet him when he rattled their cage, and plants and trees flourished under his care. Jordan was not a star in academics, but he was gifted.
Bryan sang like a lark, and sat attentively in music class. He was a problem other places. He was identified with a learning disability and was removed from his classroom for tutoring. His behaviors were often challenging, but he was gifted.
Nathan was so incredibly shy that teachers could not get much out of him. When he was in third grade he cried almost every day over having to come to school. But, he could draw the best pictures and once his fourth grade teacher found him a regular “job” of illustrating other children’s stories, Nathan came alive. He was gifted too.
Long before we heard about Multiple Intelligences, God spoke in his word about people with skills that He had given. In the Old Testament we read of embroiderers, perfumers, craftsmen in working with stones and metals, farmers, musicians, poets, all given special skills for His glory. We have a mandate as teachers, to search out the special qualities of each child, to help each develop his or her gifts, and to find ways to celebrate these gifts. On seeing the manifestation of these unique talents, we can exclaim with Isaiah, All this comes from the Lord Almighty, wonderful in counsel and magnificent in wisdom. Isaiah 28:29.
Copyright Shirley Wilson. Email [email protected]
Shirley,
Thank you for this important reminder!
Juliet