Between Teacher and Pupil

        Growing up I was very interested in other countries and people from far away lands. So, as a young mom, one of my favorite things to do in our church, was to promote missionaries and mission fields. I used various means of getting the kids to become interested in people of other lands.
        One year, in particular, I promoted a reading contest, among other things. The child who read the most 'mission' books would win a prize. There were two age groups. At the end of the time period I asked the kids to report to me the number of books or pages (I forget which...it was a lot of years ago!) they had read.
        I'll never forget one little girl in the younger age group who came to me and shyly said she had read ...!  I was very surprised and questioned her: "Are you sure it's that many?" She nodded yes.
       My mind went into a, not knowing how to respond, mode. Should I ask her mother? No, that would show I didn't believe her or trust her. Should I ask if she was telling me the truth? No, that would show I didn't believe her. Should I question her again? No.
       I looked at her. She was looking up at me with determination in her little sweet face. I decided to believe her, even though, I doubted her number.
       When the prize winners were announced, my little friend came forward so proudly. She had won first place in the younger age catagory...and was way, way ahead of the second place winner!
       Her family moved away and I lost contact with her. She grew up, went to college, got married, and finally one evening at our family camp, as she and her husband were out walking, she saw me.
       They came over to our camp site and, after introducing her husband to us, asked if she could talk to me. We walked a short distance away.
       "You may not remember this," she started. "But when I was a little girl and you had a reading contest for the kids, I won."
       I nodded and said, "Yes, I remember."
       "Well," she said, "I didn't tell you the truth. I lied about the amount I had read. I knew it was wrong but I wanted to win so badly."
       "Yes, I remember that too," I replied, "I knew you couldn't have read that much, but I didn't know what to do. So I decided to believe you."
       "I need to ask your forgiveness, even though it was a long time ago."
       "I forgive you. I actually forgave you at the time." We hugged then, knowing all was right between God and us.


       Now some of my readers may think I did the wrong thing in letting her get by with a lie. But there is something about a relationship between an adult and a child that is very fragile and can affect the child for the rest of his/her life. I would rather have her know that I trusted her, believed her, even loved her, than to show her my distrust by questioning her, going to her mother, or accusing her of lying.
       Today we are very good, trusting friends.