National Board is Done

AAAAAAAA....... That is me breathing a sigh of relief as my final step to completing my National Board Teaching Certification is over... For those of you who don't know...National Board Certification is a year long process that is very reflective and takes a LOT of time... It starts in the fall and culminates with a computerized test at the end called the Assessment Center... Today at 9:00 it was my turn....

Well... it was supposed to start at 9 but due to computer problems it didn't start til 10 because all of the folks scheduled prior to me had to go.... The test I took lasted 3 hours with a 15 minute break in the middle.. I opted for about a 5 minute break so I could get done faster....

The waiting wasn't so bad though.... I ran into some old friends there and the lobby was very talkative. The testing is for all kinds of tests so there were people besides teachers there....

Of course if I was there.... there was gonna be a story.. I met a lady who taught a school where I did my student teaching..... A few years ago that school lost their secretary to a very sudden death. She was a friend of mine..... I asked the lady had they found new secretary to replace my friend.....She said, in a snippy voice..."it wasn't hard to replace that."

She then proceeded to speak very harshly of my friend and then of course attacked my friend's Christian Faith..... She said the lady was mean and inconsistent with what she said she believed and what she did in her life...... She said if you were gonna be a Christian then you should act like it.... I just let the woman rant.... I didn't argue with her or get sassy, I just listened...It is this new skill I am working on....You learn a lot by listening....

After our conversation I told her I was sorry that she felt that way, but I thought highly of my friend...One girl in the lobby spoke up and said I can't believe you are talking about somebody like that.....The lady continued on talking to various people and then the subject of me moving to the Philippines came up as I was talking with an old friend of mine who was there......

The lady who previously was doggin my friend and her faith was now suddenly interested in sharing what she wanted to do for Jesus and how she was thinking about going somewhere with the IMB (Southern Baptist International Mission Board)

She was fussing and ranting about my friend not being like Jesus and, until I brought Him up, based her actions, I had no idea what faith she had if any..... Does that mean she didn't believe in Him .....NO ...it meant she was still a sinner and had sinned in front of us, but I would never dare say she didn't know Him.... that's not for me to say...

I am not saying this to judge the woman, but to defend my friend who is with the Lord...... I think she was a great woman...all 3 of her kids love Jesus and serve him in various ways..... My friend's legacy, regardless of that woman's negative opinion, proves otherwise.

Yes we all have bad days and bad weeks.....Lord knows I do anyway......but to hear someone publicly degrade another sister or brother in the faith hurts me...It happens all the time....unfortunately A LOT!!!! Even if they are a little off....a little whacky.... a little different than you....if they worship different or pray differently....... Lift them up, encourage them, and challenge them to to do better when needed....

Just Please.....Don't tear them down, satan and his demons do enough of that.... I am guilty of it....we all are....admitting that it's a problem is the first step to fixing it!