Shocker....

Let me tell you about C., one of my 10th graders....about a week ago, I gave an assignment to my completely bored sophomore Computer Class - write/type a poem. I gave them creative freedom within certain "school appropriate" parameters. C.'s poem was titled The Passion of the Christ 2: Crucify this! It was so beyond disrespectful to the one and only true deity aforementioned in the title, that I almost hesitated to take it with me for fear of impending lightning strikes. I had a chat with said sophomore to let him know that though the writing was extremely excellent and creative, the content itself was unacceptable in its tone...I was expecting anger, resentment, rebellion, or at least a little bit of hatefulness in response to my order and was pleasantly shocked to find this answer..."Okay, Miss H. I'll do it and get it to you this week." Along with this crazy response came the offer to mop up the quickly collecting rainwater on the entrance staircase which had induced, not surprising to those who know me, a painful collision between my tail end and the stairs a few minutes earlier. What kind of child is this who can be disrespectful to God Almighty Himself, yet responds to correction from me with obedience and willingness to do a job that most teenager's wouldn't be caught dead doing? Every morning since then, he's comes and sits in my classroom before school and chatters away...paintballing....Halloween....bike accident last summer that practically scraped half of his face off...etc etc Life really isn't even close to easy for him, divorced family, remarried parents and other elements of which I am only slightly aware that make me want to curl up in fetal position and cry for him. God has given me these kids to teach me more than just a few things and one of the lessons I keep getting over and over again, loud and clear, is I am truly blessed with a whole family and love that cradles and surrounds me even from 4 and 1/2 hours way....so blessed FYI Just received his new poem via email...it was quite good...and Mel Gibson's directorial endeavors didn't figure into it the slightest....