My Favorite Teacher

We loved to hear sixth grade teacher Myrle Acton read to us from Miss Minerva and William Green Hill, as she did each day following lunch. But it was the moments following the reading that I enjoyed most. In those moments, she talked personally to us, just love-words from our gentle teacher. Among the things she often said to us was, “I believe there is greatness in this room.” I knew what she apparently did not know; that she was the one exhibiting greatness. She knew what I did not know; that God had great things in store for me. I was positive she was talking about someone else in the room, but I knew that she believed in a group of twelve year olds and that was special to me. I’ve long since lost contact with the others in that class, so I’m not sure what degrees of greatness may have developed in them over the years. This much I know, whatever greatness I have achieved, I owe a great deal of it to the belief and affirmation of Myrle Acton. More than thirty years later I acknowledged her in my first book. Her son read the book and found me, connecting me with her by phone so she could thank me for including her in the book. When I reminded her of her “greatness” quote, I was amazed at her response. She said that I must be the one to whom she was referring, since no one else from that class had ever contacted her. That’s when I should have said, “Your greatness has grown” (Dan. 4:22) for she taught me one last lesson: greatness and gratitude go together. How about leaving me a reply below and telling me about a teacher that impacted your life?

Would you join me in praying for the following global concerns:
• Continue to pray for Carrie in Vienna, Austria, as she undergoes daily radiation treatment until the end of March.
• Pray for Paul and Nancy as they minister to South Asians in metro Vancouver, Canada.
• Pray for Shelah and Jade and their work in Eastern Uganda.
• Pray for the Hope in Education conference to be held in the Saltavka Internat, Ukraine (orphanage) on Friday and Saturday, February 27-28.
• Pray for Daniel as he preaches in the Philippine Gospel Crusade on February 26th.