As a classroom teacher, it always did my heart good to see how my students sometimes tried to “protect” me…

Once, at the end of the school day, a students dad came unannounced to my classroom. By the look on his face I knew there was a problem. I wracked my brain to try to think why I might be in trouble with the parents of this particular student, but I could think of nothing that would make him so upset.

I must have looked worried, because my student immediately told me that this had nothing to do with me.

I was happy to hear this, but there had to be a problem or that angry parent wouldn’t be here…

The dad then began to tell me that there were students who made noise in my classroom.

Hum. Well that was no news to me. I’ve never been in a classroom where the students didn’t make noise sometimes…

It took awhile, but eventually the story came out. Apparently a girl in my class routinely made noise. It didn’t bother my student, but he thought he had observed that I was bothered by the noise, and he brought his dad in to help solve the problem I didn’t realize I had!

My student jumped in at this point. “Can’t we do something to make her stop? So it doesn’t annoy you?”

I didn’t want to tell my student that I hadn’t even noticed the problem, but I did want to acknowledge his consideration of my feelings. “I tell you what,” I said with a smile. “If she starts making so much noise that it begins to annoy you, then it is probably annoying me, too. Just raise your hand and I’ll take care of it!”

He was so happy then. He was sure he had resolved one of my biggest problems. I decided to be proactive about this noisy girl, and I began to pray that she would stop disturbing the class. Interestingly she never made those noises again… Amazing what happens when we ask our Heavenly Father for help!

David wrote in Psalms 4: “Tremble and do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent…In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.” (Psalm 4:4,8 NIV). My student had searched his heart, he had identified what he considered to be a problem, and he had set about resolving it in the only way he knew how. I am certain that he lay down that night in peace! That is, in fact, the secret to sleeping well: To search our hearts before God and be silent, confessing our sins to Him, doing what He convicts us is right, and ever believing that He will help us to dwell in safety!  

In His love,
Rob Chaffart

(To access the entire “The Sling for God” devotional series, please click here.)