Please Don't Eat the Crabapples
Prayers and Reflections of a Kindergarten Teacher
by
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Luke 9:48 “And he said to them, ‘Whoever welcomes this child in my name, welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me; for the least among all of you is the greatest.’”
The door opened and I heard someone speak my name. All the children’s eyes were looking past me. I followed the direction of their stares and there by the door I saw her--number twenty-eight. I had always told my friends that I could only learn twenty-five children’s names a year and any child that joined my class after the twenty-fifth child would just have to be a number.
I had heard the day before that I would be getting my twenty-eighth child. Someone had said that she had a terrible body order. I looked at her and she smiled timidly at me. What must have been her best dress hung loosely about her pudgy frame. Her mother stood next to her looking very proud, as if she were bringing me a treasure. Of course, all children are treasures. They are gifts from God. Mine were. I had prayed mightily for the two years before my first child was born. I wondered if this proud mother had prayed for the gift of her daughter.
Even so, my class is already over crowded and I am already over worked, over stressed and over burdened trying to teach the twenty-seven children in my room. “No, not another. I can’t do this.” “God,” I prayed, “I do not want this child. I know she is a gift, but I don’t want her. Please, not number twenty-eight. What do I have left to offer? I am spread so thin, please, no.”
As always, when I have called on the Lord on behalf of a child, I felt my prayer immediately answered and God’s love engulfed me. In fact, despite my previous thoughts, I was overflowing with love for this child. I smiled brightly as I welcomed her to her new classroom. I knew God would give me the love, the patience and the time to nurture her and meet her needs. God never gives us more than He can help us handle. I knew that on my own I could never welcome and love this child. “Rebecca,” I said to her, “that’s a beautiful name.”
Again I had been shown that all things are possible with God. “Lord, thank you for sending Rebecca into our lives.”
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About the Book
For twenty-eight years Sandra
Oaks taught five, six, and seven year olds.
She laughed with them; she cried with them; she prayed for them; and she
kept a journal of her experiences. PLEASE DON’T EAT THE CRABAPPLES is a
reflection of the laughter, tears and prayers reflected in her journal. These wonderfully poignant vignettes vividly
portray one kindergarten teacher’s interactions with a wide diversity of
students. At times you will laugh and at
times you will cry as her experiences find their ways into your heart. This book gives a realistic look at both the
difficulties and joys teachers of young children deal with on a daily
basis. Teachers are caregivers who
impart not only knowledge, but who also nurture those given to their care
according to their personal needs. It is
one of the most important tasks any adult can aspire to achieve. Here is a inside view at how a praying
teacher gets through the day with her twenty-five plus students while
maintaining not only her sanity, but her sense of humor as well. Once you begin reading, you won’t put the
book down until you are finished.
About the Author
Sandra Oaks grew up a military
brat. Because her father’s career was
with the Air Force, Sandra was exposed to diverse cultures during her formative
years. For this education she is
eternally grateful. She graduated from
the