³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ

Good morning.  It was forty-six years ago today that the US supreme court ruled that racial segregation in schools must come to an end. Of course, this had been said fourteen years before, but in the small town in which I grew up, --- like hundreds of other places in the Deep South --- segregation was an accepted fact of life. It was not until the Supreme Court mandated that integration ‘must happen at once’ that our county school board finally had to act.

I was 11 years old when Mrs Reddick, came to our all white school. Looking back now, I marvel at her courage. She was the only African-American teacher in the school and though she was an experienced teacher, she was not given a class of her own.  Instead she acted as a class monitor while children read to themselves. She had every reason to be bitter, but if she was resentful she never showed it.

For me, she was one of the best teachers I ever had. Even now I recall her gentleness, kindness and most of all her gift of encouragement.  She had a smile that made a child feel special and the ability to inspire us to think that if we worked hard and did our best, we would go far.

A verse in the letter to the Thessalonians says simply: ‘encourage one another and build one another up’.

While at times it seems easier to focus on the negative rather than the positive in a situation or to point out faults and failings rather than acknowledge good effort.

Perhaps what is needed most, in our homes and at work, in schools and among our friends is often just a word of encouragement.

Thank you Lord for those who have helped us on the way. Especially we thank you for teachers. Amen