Living in the opposite spirit

There is a saying, often uttered in jest: "Smile! It makes people wonder what you are up to." Although often said in jest I find that a truer word cannot be spoken. We live lives according to a certain expectation of societal norms and standards and in the society in which we live as westernised, socialised, dynamic professionals, all too often that expectation involves self-advancement and a cynical perception of the abilities, and often character, of others in a similar predicament.

Too often we look at others and see their shortcomings rather than their potential. I am blessed to work in a relatively dynamic educational environment. (This in itself is often paradoxical given the current South African educational landscape) Recently, I have stepped out of a portfolio that I have held for a number of years that pertains to student leadership. I have been privileged to work with a number of fantastically dynamic personalities, learners who have demonstrated tremendous potential even if in embryonic form. However, and here the theme of this blog, the reason for my removal from this portfolio is that the programme appears to have stagnated (failed), new vision and new blood is needed to revisit what is essentially a traditional institution.

Throughout the process, one which I must confess, frustrated me to the extreme, no acknowledgement was made of the achievements of the group, but rather a focus of certain elements that were non-functional. And I think that the observers missed the boat. The focus was on the non-adherence to some inarticulated norm or standard, the essence of which I am still not too sure. What shocked (and even galled) me the most were the generalizations that floated around in the absence of specifics. "Nothing has been achieved!" "As a group they have been a complete failure!"

At risk of being vague, I apologise. My intent is rather to ruminate on how often we are prepared to focus on the worst in others because unknowingly they have touched a nerve in us rather than to celebrate their potential.

Why not? Why not look at the positive effects of people around us and celebrate the full-on-in-your-face smile rather than fetching the cane to chastise the possibility of some sort of failure that we see through our flawed perspectives.

I am increasingly becoming challenged and inspired by Bill Gates who has seen failure, or shortcoming as part of the process towards success. Our lack, although often allowed in some ways to define our character, is not our character.

So, let's live in the opposite spirit, contrary to people's expectation of us. Let us praise those achievements encountered, counsel where we perceive lack and challenge where we see potential.

I have a register class (homeroom class), over the space of two years I have built a relationship with them as their English Teacher. They are literally the "F" class and in being labelled this way, have come to accept the label of underachievers. In dealing with them throughout this year we have made a conscious effort to highlight their value, their worth, what they have achieved, rather than where they are falling short. In our school we stream our top two academic classes - at the end of their schooling, the "F" class has posted the third highest aggregate in the grade. All have passed my class, and only two posted subject failures in their preliminary examinations. They have never achieved these results. I am so proud of them.

Expectations create vision. Belief creates anticipation. And if nothing else, if you "smile" you will make someone's day just a whole lot better.

How great the love of the Father!

I don't know if you have ever had one of those realisations that arrest you, mid-thought, mid-speech, mid-life, without the crisis. A story was told by a friend of a time when he saved his son's life. It illustrates the worth that a father places on the life of his child, and I am sure his example would form the basis of many an aspiration.


Given the time of his life and his career, my friend was an upwardly mobile young man who believed in procuring only the best for himself and his family. He prized amongst his possessions a two door sports model sedan. It was one of the top of the range cars available at that time and had all sorts of additional safety features, one of them being a self-locking device if left standing unattended for too long. His wife left their five month-old baby asleep in the back seat of this car and the keys on the seat.

The intelligent piece of engineering that this was - it locked itself - keys inside, baby inside, windows closed. Panic ensued. Security companies were called and before long a mini-seminar was underway as how best to get to the child.

At this point my friend arrives having presumably been called by his wife, who by this time was in a state of extreme panic. The child, it appeared was already feeling the effects of a harsh African Sun, and had passed out. My friend without hesitation requested one of the security company officers to fetch a crow bar, and without hesitation wedged the bar into the door of the car and forced it open in order to rescue his son.

The surrounding reaction was one of incredulity. How could he force this bar into car door and so callously wedge it open?

His response - "What do you mean? That baby is my son and he is worth thousands of these cars."

So too our Dad. He will do anything, move heaven and earth and then back again to save us. I have an image of Father taking a crowbar and wedging open the doors of death and hell. I have an image of Father taking a crowbar and wedging open hearts that are cold  and wrapped around our earthly treasures.

Why? Because whatever we are holding onto and prizing so highly in terms of our own possessions or status, God values us, our lives our souls, our freedom, of thousands more times value than this.

He gave His only Son that we might have life, and have it to the full.

What a sleepy old year!

The 2010 school year lies gasping on the threshold of the finishing line, awaiting the final gun signalling the end of the race. Many disfunctional bodies lurch their way to the medical tent and look to get that crucial sustenance before heading out for the next leg.

That being said, we still have a busy week and a half to get through with resourcing to be finalised for the new school year and Matric marking to be done. It is "Hello, uncle, Hello, Aunty week" for our kids. Than-you, Lord for a strong support group.

Oh sleep, wherefore art thou?