Read aloud the last several chapters of “Wonder” to the students. [substitute teacher plans]
I saw the book on the teacher’s desk, and never hearing of it before, I asked the 4th graders to give me a summary of what was happening up to this point.
There’s a boy that is picked on, bullied, and made fun of because he has a deformity with his face, they explained.
Choking back tears, I read those last several chapters of this boy, Auggie, who wins an award at the middle school graduation for kindness. In presenting the award, the principal verbosely describes the impact when each of us are “more kind than necessary”. And this is when I really had to take all the deep breaths and swallow the lump in my throat… He quotes another author that explains how you can “recognize the face of God when people show more kindness than necessary”. I loved seeing the reactions from the students I was reading to, and this story has come to my mind over and over again over the past few weeks since I read this book. God is what is seen when we show kindness…
Kindness seems to be on trend right now, with “BE KIND” messages on everything from shirts to social media. How cool that a fruit of the Spirit is being recognized globally! While “paying it forward” and “acts of kindness” are buzzworthy, we know that our heavenly Father is the creator of kindness, and because of him, we are kind. When this fruit from him is evident in our lives, God shines through! He is recognized and glorified!
John 15 outlines how our Father is our gardener. I have always been in awe of gardeners. The skill and expertise to know just what to do to get the right fruit. The care and love for each individual plant. The meticulous approach to the individualized needs of the plant – sun, water, food, love. The pruning…Oh, the pruning! Such time and patience that gardeners invest.
How much more does our heavenly Father invest in us, so we can bear fruit? And why? Why does he want us to be fruitful? To glorify him! And it’s only through him that we bear any fruit. So what’s our role – what do we do in all of this? REMAIN! Remain in him. He is the vine and we are the branches. Stay close to him and we can bear much fruit, and show that we are his disciples. The world will see God, through the fruit he brings out in our lives. This passage has challenged me to draw closer and remove any barriers that keep me from the most amazing Gardener!
Reading through the list of fruits of the Spirit was another big motivator to me this week to draw close and remain. We get to be a vessel that brings God glory – and with some amazing fruit! Fruit like kindness. Joy. Patience. The traits of our Gardener, shown right in front of us.
The world is watching and searching, so in need of a loving Gardener. How humbling that God uses us and bears his fruit through us – so He can be seen!
