Never Give Up

It is not often that I am ready to give up on a student. It is a defensive action. It happens when I feel like if I give anymore of myself to the student, I will pop like a balloon hit by a dart.

I was ready to give up today. The student in question had been suspended several times. When they were in class, they did not do the work. They did not respond to any of my interventions. They were failing, and I felt powerless to change it. In fact, I was prepared to tell the parents of this young man that very thing at our parent teacher conference. "Ma'am, I am sorry, but I have done all I know to do. I don't think he is going to make it."

I talked to the other teachers. I told them that barring a miracle, there was nothing I could do to help him pass. They felt the same way.

Okay, this is the part where it quits being about my student, and it starts being about me. When I met with the parents, they knew the situation. The problem had been getting worse for several years. It began with not turning in any assignments, and it turned into not giving a s**t about school. They were also ready to give up, but they could not bring themselves to do it. This young man was their own flesh and blood after all. I pitied them. I really did.

Then one of the parents said something that caught my attention. The said, "I told him he has to study. I told him it is important. I told him that he needs an education to get a job since he will never be able to do physical labor with his condition." Condition? What condition? I didn't know anything about any condition.

It turns out that this young man has a debilitating degenerative condition. It is progressive, and it is severe. The prognosis is not good, and he knows it. Remember when I said that this is where it is more about me than about him? You see, when I heard that I put myself in his shoes. If I had that condition what would I do? Would I do any better? I don't know if I would. In fact, I am afraid that if I knew about me what he knows about himself, I would not care about anything. It is very plausible that depression would rob me of my motivation for school. It is plausible that I would feel like giving up, and I very likely would do just that.

You see, I remembered at that time how my Lord reacted to me in my sin condition. Love and grace abounded to the point of immeasurable self sacrifice. No, it was not hard for me to realize my duty in this situation. I needed to let the love and grace that has been shown to me overflow onto this young man.

Will he pass? I have no idea, but I do know that I will not give up.