February 10, 2020
By Mr. Yasso
As Christians we are taught to minister to others about the grace, love, and forgiveness that we gain through Christ Jesus. Yet, most of us are not running out to proclaim the word of God. Still, we find ourselves spreading the word of God to others. We never know when, where, why, or how it will happen? I believe it is divine intervention. If you don’t agree, please read my story and let me know if you change your mind.
I am a public-school teacher. I am very well liked at our school. One day on my way to work I was speaking with God and said “God I know these kids love me. They think I am a nice, kind person. But, that’s not why I want them to like me. I want them to like me because they see I am the way I am because I believe in You. I don’t want it to be about me, but about You.” I was so consumed with this conflict that I was tearing up in the car. About midday as I stood in the hallway monitoring students, Matthew D, one of my own students, handed me a card and said, “Mr. Yasso this is for you.” There was nothing particularly special about that day. It was a random day like any other. I thought, that’s odd, why is he giving me a card? Nevertheless, I stuck to my ritual of reading the card at the end of the day. I was amazed to find the front of the card had the reading of Matthew 5:16. “Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.” The inside read “With a smile or kind word, you spread Christ’s love in the best way there is, with a gentle spirit and a generous heart.”
As the tears streamed down my face all I could do was look up and say, “Thank You Father!” I mean how often is it that He answers our prayers in such an obvious way? When I came down from my great joy, I realized that I never shared any spiritual words with Matt. We never sat down and had a conversation about God. So where did he get this idea about me and my spiritual beliefs? Then it dawned on me. He must have concluded it by listening to my words and seeing my actions. This brought me to the realization that how we carry ourselves is just as important as the words we share when ministering.
Now, do not think for one second that I believe I am above others. Like you I am broken and in need of mercy. That’s the beauty of this story. God is using someone like me as an instrument to do his work. He does the same with you. Many people think ministering takes place in churches. It does, but then how do we reach those that don’t attend church? It must be in our everyday lives. In what we say and what we do.
Where do we spend most of our time outside the home? For most of us it is at work. So that may be a good place to start showing others that God is real. Like me at a public school, I may not be able to talk about God, but I can certainly spread news of His love, grace, and forgiveness with kind words and caring actions. You too, can do the same.
Mr. Yasso is a high school math teacher
