A student walks into the coffee shop, sat down at my table and says, “I have a big problem.” I ask her to explain what it is and she tells me that her aunt wants her to come and spend the day with her during May holiday, but her best friend says that if she does, and doesn’t spend the day with her, she will no longer be her friend. She asked me what she should do.
I asked her to imagine that she was her aunt. Would it be important to her to have her niece come to visit? She told me it would be very important. I asked her what she thought she should do. Her response was to go and see her aunt, “but what do I do about by best friend,” she asks. “I don’t want to lose her as a friend.” I asked her if she thought a real friend would try to control her life. She said, “No.” If you go and see your aunt and she leaves you as a friend, then she really was not your friend.
A week later she returns to the coffee shop and explains what happened. She went to see her aunt and her friend realized that she was being very selfish and asked for forgiveness. They both learned that doing what is right is the best thing to do.
On another day a student came in looking very tired and about ready to cry. I looked at her and asked her what was the matter. She explained that her roommate would stay up each night until three in the morning, surfing the net and then sleep in. This would keep my tired student up, who had to get up early in the morning. They had had a big fight and were now not talking. She asked me what she should do. I suggested that she go back to her roommate and ask her to forgive her for the argument and then quietly help her understand why she needed more sleep and how her staying up kept her from sleeping. She thought this would be very hard to do, but promised me that she would do it.
Several days later she came back to the shop and sat down next to me. I looked at her and told her that she didn’t look as tired. She told me that she wasn’t because she was now getting a good night’s sleep. She told me that she went back and did what I suggested. Her roommate was touched and understood and the problem was solved.
Working with these students is like raising a large family. Each day brings its share of teaching opportunities. When you provide guidance for daily problems, you create opportunities to learn about what is really important in life. I sure love the life application work I am doing here. It takes me back to my university and college teaching days. I love working with this age group. For awhile it was father to children. Now it is grandfather to grandchildren and if the Lord gives me strength way beyond my years, then maybe it could be great grandfather to children. I am not so sure about that one.
I asked her to imagine that she was her aunt. Would it be important to her to have her niece come to visit? She told me it would be very important. I asked her what she thought she should do. Her response was to go and see her aunt, “but what do I do about by best friend,” she asks. “I don’t want to lose her as a friend.” I asked her if she thought a real friend would try to control her life. She said, “No.” If you go and see your aunt and she leaves you as a friend, then she really was not your friend.
A week later she returns to the coffee shop and explains what happened. She went to see her aunt and her friend realized that she was being very selfish and asked for forgiveness. They both learned that doing what is right is the best thing to do.
On another day a student came in looking very tired and about ready to cry. I looked at her and asked her what was the matter. She explained that her roommate would stay up each night until three in the morning, surfing the net and then sleep in. This would keep my tired student up, who had to get up early in the morning. They had had a big fight and were now not talking. She asked me what she should do. I suggested that she go back to her roommate and ask her to forgive her for the argument and then quietly help her understand why she needed more sleep and how her staying up kept her from sleeping. She thought this would be very hard to do, but promised me that she would do it.
Several days later she came back to the shop and sat down next to me. I looked at her and told her that she didn’t look as tired. She told me that she wasn’t because she was now getting a good night’s sleep. She told me that she went back and did what I suggested. Her roommate was touched and understood and the problem was solved.
Working with these students is like raising a large family. Each day brings its share of teaching opportunities. When you provide guidance for daily problems, you create opportunities to learn about what is really important in life. I sure love the life application work I am doing here. It takes me back to my university and college teaching days. I love working with this age group. For awhile it was father to children. Now it is grandfather to grandchildren and if the Lord gives me strength way beyond my years, then maybe it could be great grandfather to children. I am not so sure about that one.
