In
a small town called Greenville, Florida, there lived a little 8 year-old girl
by the name of Annie Rozier. Lil’ Annie came from a poor family that struggled
to get by. Annie was a sweet little girl, but she struggled in her school
studies.
Lil’
Annie was not popular at school and was often treated poorly by her fellow
peers. She dressed poorly and was not known for being a pretty girl. Children
cried when they were forced to sit next to her. They cried when they had to
hold her hand. The treatment that Annie received tore her apart on the inside.
She would often cry when she returned home from school.
Annie
did not get a lot of help from home. Her parents were not raised to value
school as much as they should have, which resulted in both parents being
illiterate. This made things even more difficult for her. Every day of second grade
was a miserable experience for Lil’ Annie. She dreaded attendance and was often
distracted by the deliberate torture that she received from the other students.
As time had gone by, the final week of school had now come. This was the only time Annie had been happy about school; that was of course because school was coming to an end for the year. Nothing mattered to Annie at this point. All she could think of is no school, which meant no teasing, no name calling, and no days ending in tears.
On
the last day of school, Annie’s teacher passed out report cards to all of the
students. This meant nothing to Annie; After all, Annie was just happy to be out
of school. When Annie opened her report card, she received news that she had not anticipated. Annie had failed 2nd grade and was doomed to
repeat the worst experience of her life. Her heart began to beat in anguish.
Her lips began to quiver uncontrollably. In that moment, her world had
crumbled. Without any warning, tears filled the wells of her eyes. Gravity
pulled her tears to the ground along with any happiness that Annie had conjured
up about school’s end. She couldn’t understand why such a devastating thing
could happen to her.
Mrs.
Johnson, Annie’s teacher, explained Annie’s situation to her thoroughly. “Annie”
she said, “I am truly sorry that you did not pass the 2nd grade. I know that
you have had a difficult time, and my heart goes out to you. You were not
successful because you allowed your peers to distract you from a better outcome
on this day. It was not your assigned task to be liked and treated well. It was
not your responsibility to do and behave in a manner that was favorable to those
who mistreated you. You were responsible for adhering to my directions, my
assigned tasks, and the other rules for this classroom. When you focused on
elements around you and what was being done to you, there was no focus on class
assignments or home work. I cannot promote you to the 3rd grade
because you have not demonstrated a convincing competency for addition and
subtraction. In the 3rd grade, you will be responsible for learning
multiplication and division. You will not be successful in these disciplines if
you do not know addition and subtraction. For these reasons, you will be
retained in the 2nd grade so that we may build the appropriate
bridge to the 3rd grade. As your teacher, I would only be setting
you up for failure later down the road if I did it any other way.”
Mrs.
Johnson offered Lil’ Annie a tissue as she blotted her eyes. In this moment,
Annie knew that Mrs. Johnson was spot on and fair. From that day on, Annie made
up her mind that she would never allow the mistreatment by her peers to
discourage her focus on the teacher’s directives. She no longer sought to
satisfy her peers, and she used their malicious antics to fuel her motivations
to become successful. When Annie took this approach, she relished in the moment
of hearing her teacher say, “Annie, you have been promoted. Well done Annie,
well done!”
Brothers
and sisters, some of us are a lot like Lil’ Annie. We focus on all of the
distractions of the enemy, thus detracting our attention from the source of all
promotions. In order to elevate or crossover, we must first adhere to the
directions that instruct us to climb the ladder or build a bridge. If we are
not obedient to the instructions of our teacher in Jesus Christ, there can be
no promotion. That is, if we are focused on life’s ‘commotion’, we consciously subject our lives to ‘demotion.’ We cannot submit a failing
body of work to our teacher and expect a passing grade.
How
many times have we complained about going through the same things over and
over? Why is it that we experience the same hurt, the same trials, the same
wages, the same living conditions, at the same levels of the totem pole? I will
answer this question by asking a question. Have you mastered GOD’s arithmetic?
Do you know that sin + sin= 0 reward? Did you know obedience + faith= eternal
life and increase? If you do not know this arithmetic, GOD has retained you to
the 2nd grade until you understand these numerical concepts. Rest in
knowing that you have not yet failed if you’re reading this, but you have
failed to acknowledge the concept. Focus on the Heavenly Father’s teachings and
master His arithmetic. Seek to hear our Heavenly Father say, “Well done child,
well done!”
Today’s
Bible Verses:
His master replied, ‘Well done, good and
faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in
charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ (Matthew 25:21)
Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters,
stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of
the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain (1 Corinthians 15:58).
Today’s Prayer:
Heavenly Father we are subjected to pain and ridicule every day.
Lord allow our focus to remain on You and Your commands so that we may one day
hear You say, “Congratulations my child. You have been promoted to eternity
with your Heavenly Father!” The world we live in is not an easy place to
navigate, but we rely on Your Holy Spirit as a compass and a “Beacon of Light!”
Thank you for your instructions and guidance. In the name of Jesus, Amen…
Amen
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