Father, I am leaning heavily on You this evening. I’ve caught something and feel miserable, I guess it’s just one of the side effects of driving a school bus… Help me to get over what I’m dealing with and help me to still think clearly enough to benefit from our time together. Amen.

♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

This afternoon the elementary assistant principal came on my bus to address my kids. He shared that some parents had contacted the school about some inappropriate things that were being said and done (I can’t see and hear everything that goes on.) He addressed the culprits publicly and made it very clear that those actions would not be tolerated.
After we were out on the road, I was informed that one of the individuals was being harassed by several of the other kids. At first, I made a general announcement of the “if you can’t something nice, don’t say anything at all” variety. Within minutes I was informed the person was still being harassed. They had already been dropped off, so I safely pulled the bus over and turned on my hazard lights.
I got everyone’s attention and got them quieted down. And here is the lesson for all of us. I asked them, “Is there anyone of you that have never done anything wrong?” And, I kid you not, of the close to 40 kids on the bus probably half of them raised their hands! I asked, “None of you have ever disobeyed your parents? Or said something you shouldn’t have said? Or taken something you shouldn’t have taken?” And I got basically the same response! I then said, “Well, for one thing, I have called almost every one of you out for not being in your seats or being out in the aisle – and that is disobedience!” It didn’t faze them…
I stressed that none of us are innocent, the best I could but I don’t really feel that I got very far and wrapped it up with the “if you can’t say something nice…” statement again.
Honestly, I was shocked! (I’m sure parents and teachers would be, too!) But truly, isn’t it a microcosm of the world in which we live? We hold fast to the mantra that we are innocent until proven guilty. In reality, we are guilty until we own up to that guilt and lay it before our Lord and Savior. And then we are only made innocent because of His blood that was spilled on our behalf.
For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Romans 3:23 (NLT)
“Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone …” John 8:7 (NIV)
For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And it was not paid with mere gold or silver, which lose their value. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. 1 Peter 1:18-19 (NLT)

Oct 30th, 2019, Wed, 7:24 pm