“He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him.”
– Proverbs 18:13

“Judge not according to appearance, but judge righteous judgment.”
– John 7:24

I Did It God’s Way

I used to teach in a Learning Center attended by high school dropouts who had decided to return to school to get their diplomas. How I admired them! They’ve been in gangs, gone to prison, ended up in the hospital with gunshot wounds, and had seen that the world is not what they thought. So they were back in school.

I shared the Lab at the Learning Center with another teacher who had classes at night, and I was meticulous about checking supplies in and out. The other teacher however, let the students take them home, and often they were not available when we needed them.

I decided to approach the other teacher on the matter. She was very defensive and ready to fight. I was distraught because some math books which had taken the school two years to acquire had vanished. We talked about the problem, but suddenly I realized that I was so busy trying to assert my point of view, I hadn’t been listening to her at all. I decided to “be still.” What I heard, then, astounded me! The other teacher was not lax as I had thought after all. She loved the students as much as I did and had just wanted to give them an extra opportunity to achieve their goal. And I wanted to make sure they had the books to do so.

The solution to our apparent conflict was in my attitude. Once I realized that we shared the same concern, we were able to begin cooperating for the highest good of all.

Today I am still. I judge not. I listen for the inner voice which guides and guards me, smoothing my path. My way is not the only way. I am traveling a street that has many surprising curves and turns.

The name of this street is: “God’s Way!”

Rev. Dr. Rainbow Johnson
ADAAP Outreach Minister