I thought I would share
with you a heart warming story about a boy named Teddy for this Thanksgiving
Holiday.
This is a story of an
elementary school teacher that occurred many years ago. Her name was Mrs.
Thompson and as she stood in front of her 5th grade class on the
very first day of school, she told the children something that was not
completely true in reality. Like most teachers, she looked at her students
and said that she loved them all the same. But that was impossible because
there in the front row, slumped in his seat, was a little boy named Teddy
Stoddard. Mrs. Thompson had watched Teddy the year before and noticed that
he didn’t play well with the other children, that his clothes were messy,
and that he needed a bath. And Teddy could be unpleasant. As the year
progressed, it got to the point where Mrs. Thompson would actually take
delight in marking his papers with a broad red pen, making bold X’s and then
putting a big “F” at the top of his papers.
At the school where Mrs.
Thompson taught, she was required to review each child’s past records and
she put Teddy’s off until last. However, when she reviewed his file, she was
in for a surprise. Teddy’s first grade teacher wrote, “Teddy is a bright
child with a ready laugh. He does his work neatly and has good manners… he
is a joy to be around.” His second grade teacher wrote, “Teddy is an
excellent student, well liked by his classmates, but he is troubled because
his mother has a terminal illness and life at home must be a struggle.” His
third grade teacher wrote “His mother’s death has been hard on him. He tries
to do his best, but his father doesn’t show much interest and his home life
will soon affect him if some steps aren’t taken.” Teddy’s fourth grade
teacher wrote, “Teddy is withdrawn and doesn’t show much interest in school.
He doesn’t have many friends and sometimes sleeps in class.”
By now, Mrs. Thompson
realized the problem and she was ashamed of herself and knew she needed to
do something to rectify her actions toward Teddy. As Christmas vacation
approached many of her students brought Christmas presents. They were all
wrapped up in beautiful ribbons and bright paper. But not Teddy’s present,
his was clumsily wrapped in heavy, brown paper that he got from a grocery
bag. Mrs. Thompson took pains to open it in the middle of the other
presents. Some of the children started to laugh when she found a rhinestone
bracelet with some of the stones missing and a bottle that was one quarter
full of perfume. But she abruptly stopped the children’s laughter and
exclaimed how pretty the bracelet was. She put it on, and dabbed some of
the perfume on her wrist. Teddy Stoddard stayed after school that day, just
long enough to say, “Mrs. Thompson, today you smelled just like mom used
to.” After he left, she cried for at least an hour. On that very day, she
decided to change how she was going to work with Teddy the rest of the
year. When he came back from vacation she paid particular attention to
him. She worked with him, encouraged him, and helped him in every way. By
the end of the year, Teddy became one of the smartest children in her
class.
A year later, she found
a note under her door from Teddy telling her that she was the best teacher
he ever had in his whole life. Six years went by before she got another note
from Teddy. He then wrote that he had finished high school, third in his
class, and she was still the best teacher he ever had his whole life. Four
years after that, she got another letter, saying that while things have been
tough at times, he had stayed in school, had stuck with it and would soon
graduate from college with the highest of honors. He assured Mrs. Thompson
that she was the best teacher he had ever had in his whole life. Four more
years passed and yet another letter came. This time, he explained that he
had decided to go a little further and got his medical degree. The letter
explained that she was still the best teacher he had ever had in his life.
But now his name was a little longer – the letter was signed Dr. Theodore F.
Stoddard, M.D.
The story doesn’t end
there. You see, there was yet another letter that spring. Teddy said he’d
met this girl and was going to be married. He explained that his father had
died a couple of years before and was wondering if Mrs. Thompson might agree
to sit in the place at the wedding that was usually reserved for the mother
of the groom. Of course Mrs. Thompson did and guess what? She wore that
bracelet, the one with several rhinestones missing. And she made sure she
was wearing the perfume that Teddy remembered his mother wearing on their
last Christmas together.
They hugged each other
and Dr. Stoddard whispered in Mrs. Thompson’s ear “Thank you, Mrs. Thompson,
for believing in me. Thank you so much for making me feel important and for
showing me that I could make a difference.” Mrs. Thompson, with tears in her
eyes, whispered back “Teddy, you have it all wrong. You were the one who
taught me that I could make a difference. I didn’t know how to teach until I
met you.”
Teachable Moment
Read the story of Teddy
to your family at Thanksgiving. Ask your children to name who their
favorite teacher is or was? Ask them to describe what made their
particular teacher so special. Then ask them to identify any Teddys they
might know at school. As you offer up a Thanksgiving prayer, praising God
for all He has done, pray for the Teddy’s at your children’s school and
opportunities to minister to them. Finally, before your children return to
school, create a family plan to minister to the Teddys at school. If you
do, then perhaps this Thanksgiving will be the most meaningful one you have
ever spent. I know God loves it when you thank and praise Him at
Thanksgiving, but I also believe He loves it even more when you comfort
those of this world who are afflicted, the Teddys (2 Corinthians
2:3-4).
Word of God
2 Corinthians 1:3-5 3
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of
mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction so
that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the
comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
