Have you ever felt like you really need to speak to someone about how you have treated them? You don't understand why they just don't respect you. Yet when you really think about it do you give them the same respect you're wanting from them? I found out that respect is not always deserved, it must be earned, especially when we aren't doing our part in respecting the other person.
While teaching in Belize I had a young man who I would literally pray would not be at school on some days. He was such a handful and drove me insane quite often. This in turn caused me to be very short and impatient with him. On one occasion out of pure disrespect he ate the detention slip I had given him in front of me and the entire student body.
This particular young man was Leroy. He was a 14 year old boy, who lived in a not so caring home. One evening while at home the Lord clearly spoke to me and told me, "You will not win him until you apologize." I was so taken aback, I didn't feel I had anything to apologize for, but the words were spoken again. I told the Lord I would apologize the next day. The day came and went and I didn't apologize. Over the weekend I was feeling very overwhelmed in my spirit because I had not done what I told the Lord I would do. So I decided on Sunday evening the first thing in the morning Monday I would talk to Leroy. Would you know it Monday came and Leroy did not show up for school. As a matter of fact, he was very ill, he had a very serious kidney problem that he could die from. He had been taken to the hospital on Sunday with a 102 fever and an infection in his kidney. I immediately thought he could die and I would not have been able to apologize to him, although I was still unsure as to what I was apologizing for. I prayed night and day for him to return to school and each day he didn't show up. He was not in a hospital that I could go visit either due to the location.
After many days I was so upset, I began begging the Lord to help him to get better so that I might be able to speak to him. A week later he walked into the school building. I had never been so happy to see him in my life! I jumped up from my desk and ran over and hugged him and told him, "I was happy for him to be back." All the while he was looking at me as though I had lost my mind. I let him settle into his day and at lunch I called him outside. I proceeded to tell him my story and how the Lord had spoken to me and I needed to apologize and at that moment the Lord told me what for, it was as if a light bulb went off in my head. I cried and asked him to forgive me because my behavior was no better than his. I would allow myself to get upset with him and be just as disrespectful to him as I felt he was to me. I spoke to him about his spiritual and physical well being. I told him I loved him and from that point on I would be treating him with a different attitude. He never looked at me but accepted my apology and went on his way.
God truly works in mysterious ways. From that day on I never had another problem out of Leroy. He would bring me mango's from his mango tree (they are my favorite) and always treated me with utmost respect. He is one of the many students I will never forget. I learned a valuable lesson from him that semester about respect and how to obtain it. As far as I am aware Leroy has not given his heart to the Lord and I'm not sure what is going on with his health. I just pray the Lord will continue to work with him and not give up on him till He has won him over.
I do not tell you this so that you might see where I lack but so that you might see that the Lord can humble even the teacher to the student for His glory alone. Is there someone you need to humble yourself before? If you haven't already humbled yourself to Christ, that would be the first place to start. He will help you with anyone else from that point on.
"Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 18:4
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