8.25-Teachers. Thanks God for Teachers.

8.25-

Fifty years ago today, 8/22/68, I graduated from Abilene Christian College as it was called then. We lined up and Sheila was with me to “Hood” me with the honor of receiving a BS in Education and Business. When the summer graduation group had marched in and an invocation was given, there were students honored for their high achievements. Dean Walter Adams chose as his text

Luke 2.
52 And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and [x]stature, and in favor with God and men.”

During my years of elementary, junior high and high school most, if not all, of my teachers, attended one of the local churches in town. Their model teacher was ultimately Jesus Christ.

Sheila and I went forth to teach that first year at Boles Home Independent School, BISD, near Quinlan, Texas. She taught kindergarten and I taught several subjects in high school and junior high in addition to coaching.

We had spent 18 years in school. Now we would be the teachers. We were excited the first day, but totally exhausted and overwhelmed the second day. We were in our second year of marriage - now in the deep end of the pool.

Sheila had about 20 students from about 8 AM to about 3 PM.
I was engaged from 8 AM to 3 PM in teaching about 100 students. During basketball season I was a coach for an extra twenty hours a week for three months - daily practice, two games a week and two or three tournaments. During the spring semester I coached track for a couple of months. I had five different courses to teach and all involved a new preparation for each day. I even served as the physical education teacher for the second graders. It was a great experience

I tried to get to know each student, teach them their subject plus -- Help them to grow “in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.”

We did this for one year. The next year I taught and began ministry work on weekends. Sheila brought a baby boy into the world, our son, Jeff. She was totally absorbed in her work with him. He was a happy baby.

My third year of teaching was in Vidor, Texas, where I drove a school bus, worked with small churches on weekends and I attended Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas, to become a school counselor. I was the one needing the most counseling.

What I learned from my teachers in my elementary, junior high, high school and college years was that teaching is much more than teaching a student the immediate subject. It is also helping them to grow in “in wisdom and [x]stature, and in favor with God and men.”

We thank God for teachers! We hope and pray they have a great school year.

Larry and Sheila Wishard
8.22.18