I've got 24 seniors in seminary this year. And they are just delightful. I am especially enjoying the slightly more energetic boys -- you know, "we don't have any boys at our house." I have it on good authority that some of the early-morning shenanigans are less appreciated by a few of the girls. Because boys are so immature.
Anyway, this morning one of the tables was occupied exclusively by boys, specifically, the boys most-likely-to-entertain-themselves. As our discussion progressed, I noticed that when I looked away to the two side tables, the center table of boys inched backward toward the door. So each time I came back to them, they were farther away. (This, of course, made me think of the weeping angels on Dr. Who, only the opposite direction and not scary.) I ignored the creeping table until I realized that Andrew, on the end, was backed against the door, and it was slightly ajar.
Does this sound awful? I was not at all bothered... I told them yes, how funny they were and scooted the table back up. I realize some of the behavior I see might not occur in other classes. But I try not to dwell on it too much. I embrace a wide range of participation styles and prefer almost anything to vacant stares. I have no problem letting someone know when they've gone too far. These are good kids who mostly pay attention. Usually. A creeping table is less distracting to me than the recurring, non-class related chatting that defines one particular corner.
And as you know, I am not soft-spoken or particularly sweet. I'm a goof! My natural "exuberance" has occasionally been misinterpreted in the past, but I like to think it's a harmless kind of crazy. It hasn't kept me from living the gospel fully or teaching it. Maybe that's why I am not bothered by the sometimes silly. Or maybe it's because I still get antsy in Sunday School.
So, a while back we talked about the Laborers In The Vineyard. In this parable, the master of the vineyard hires day laborers at several points throughout the day but at the end pays them all the same. Those hired first, who worked longest, protest. We discussed service, about not envying others' blessings, and how the Lord looks at our efforts. At the end of class we have an "on the spot" moment where I let the students tell me what their take away for the day is. On this day when I asked about what we'd learned about serving the Lord, Tom's quick response was, "you only have to work an hour." Very clever.
This morning was Jessica's birthday. I found out that one of her favorite treats was red velvet cake. So I made those cupcakes for her birthday treat. They were unrecognizable at first, under the crushed Oreo "dirt" and other toppings that were to illustrate the four kinds of soil mentioned in the Parable of the Sower. When she saw hers up close, she asked, "are these red velvet?... did I know that is her favorite?" Yes and yes. She was so pleased, and came up after class to give me a hug. This is the same girl who was the first to class yesterday, which was so impressive to herself that she told each subsequent arrival. Very cute!
It's early. We're all tired. Some days are better than others. But I do enjoy these kids.
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