An Unlikely Teacher

August 08, 2014 | By Chuck

I teach for a living. Nearly every week for the last 15 years I'm standing in a pulpit teaching a lesson from the Bible. At times I'm in a classroom teaching. I've also been known to teach at a kitchen table, a living room, a jail cell and even a beach. My point is so much of my life revolves around teaching. Sometimes the teacher is taught a lesson and that's exactly what happened to me recently. Just last weekend several from the congregation made our annual trip to St. Louis. We spent Saturday at Six Flags Theme Park and then worshiped together in a hotel banquet room Sunday morning before heading to the ballpark for a Cardinals game. Before the trip my son buys a St. Louis Cardinals baseball, I'm thinking for autographs so it can be displayed on our shelf at home with the others. Dylan later explains to me that the ball is for autographs but not for him. His plan was to get autographs for Tom Scott, who is a huge Cardinals fan and was unable to make the trip with us due to his recent surgery. I was both blown away and proud because this was Dylan's own idea. Kristy and I had nothing to do with this. (sorry Tom) We arrive at the ballpark a few hours before game time and Dylan immediately puts his plan into motion. He stands, with several others, just behind the Cardinal's dugout in hopes of securing an autograph for Tom. After what seemed like forever the Cardinal's Manager, Mike Matheny, made his way out and signed several autographs including the ball for Tom. Dylan had achieved his goal and who would have thought, Mike Matheny. He was pumped and proud and I was too. The very next evening I'm standing at Tom's door with Dylan and that ball in his hand. What impressed me the most is that Dylan didn't get a ball signed for himself to add to his collection. Dylan was only concerned about getting a ball signed for Tom. My 18 year old son, the unlikely teacher, taught me a very powerful lesson about putting the interest of others before your own. "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others."(Phil.2:3-4) Chuck Ball