A Teacher’s Story
Mr. Mahling was one of those teachers who knew his subject well, but didn’t relate well to his students. One day he came out of the school and saw this old van driven by one of his students. The van was idling unevenly and Mr. Mahling went over, and as a joke went to give the driver a couple of pennies as if to say, “I wouldn’t give you two cents for this. . .” Unbeknown to Mr. Mahling the driver had run to get a fire extinguisher because he thought the van had caught on fire. Running out of the school with the extinguisher the student immediately started spraying the chemical toward the van dousing Mr. Mahling. As Mr. Mahling came from around the van he was covered in white from the tip of his head to the bottom of his shoes. Time stood still for the students, would Mr. Mahling get mad! Instead Mr. Mahling started to laugh and later even helped them fix their van. This experience was a turning point in the relationship between the students and the teacher.
Mr. Mahling showed his student’s grace. Did you know the word “grace” is found in the Bible 159 times? What did God mean when He told Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you?” This famous passage is found in 1 Corinthians 12:9. Here we find the apostle Paul plagued by a physical ailment (thorn in the flesh) that will not go away. Paul says that he besought the Lord three times to remove this affliction, but God refused.
What is your “thorn?” Jesus is telling you that, “His grace is sufficient for you.” Someday when looking back, you’ll realize that you wouldn’t trade your “thorn” for anything. This is what God was teaching Paul. It is by His grace that we draw every breath. When we put our confidence in this flesh alone we are destined for failure for it is corrupt. God wants us to trust in Him. By definition grace is “unmerited divine assistance.” Consider your “thorn” as divine assistance.
