The Teacher's Daughter

It was awfully quiet. In a house with 4 kids, quiet doesn't happen much. Naturally, I became concerned. I like to sneak up on them. You know, catch them in the act.

First, I heard them. Mary was talking, very quietly. As they came into view, I saw Mary sitting on a chair in her room with Danny and Sarah obediently sitting on the floor. On Mary's lap was an open Bible storybook. She was reading the story of Joseph and teaching her own little Sunday school class.

As she read about Joseph's special coat, she showed the little ones a doll dress. She explained that the coat Joseph's father gave him made him feel very special. Then, as she read about Joseph's brothers selling him into slavery, she passed around a pair of toy handcuffs to help the kids understand that Joseph had been taken as a kind of prisoner.

I stood there, utterly amazed. I expected to find them eating smuggled Easter candy. Instead, Mary's sweet teaching style and love for her little brother and sister brought tears to my eyes.

Not every parenting moment is so sweet. So much of our day is filled with correction and breaking up sibling squabbles. But every so often, they give us a glimpse into the maturity they will one day possess. We get to see sweetness. Kindness. Love. A teacher's daughter teaching great lessons to her siblings. And I'm not just talking about Joseph.

Gotta go. It's awfully quiet......