MARSHALL ISLANDS
The
Ran Stopper M
y seventeen fourth graders raced into the classroom, each trying to be the first to sit down. As soon as they were seated, I asked them to quickly pack their books and pencils. School would be over in 15 minutes, and I could see dark, ominous clouds rushing in from the sea. I didn’t want them to walk home in a storm. But the children didn’t listen. They were all talking at once, trying to tattle on who had misbehaved in a previous
class. I reminded them to respect all their teachers and then asked them to quiet down so that we could pray before they went home. Still, no one listened. “Fourth graders, please look out the window toward the sea,” I asked. A few of them turned to look. “Can you see those dark clouds coming closer and closer to our school? Do you want to get home wet?” Suddenly it began to pour. That caught the attention of my little noisemakers. “No, Miss, we want
to go home dry,” they responded loudly. “OK, in that case, if you hear someone talking, please ask them nicely to be quiet. We are not going to pray until everyone is silent.” When all was quiet, I asked the children to bow their heads and close their eyes. Then, as I do at the end of each school day, I asked Jesus to keep them safe, help them with their homework, and bless their families. Then I asked Him for something that my students had never heard me ask
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