Many of us were taught about apples, floods, giants, whales and a cross during our childhood. Approximately the same number of us received this information from someone like Mrs. Hankles. Mrs. Hankles symbolizes the 3rd grade Sunday school teacher we all had. The one who wouldn’t let you and your best friend sit beside each other. The one who scowled at you for laughing – after all, “this is God’s house; show some reverence.” Mrs. Hankles was the one who we all knew snuck out back to take a couple of draws from her Pall Mall while we quietly colored outside the lines of Peter on water, Stephen being stoned, and Jesus on a cross. We all wondered why she taught this class if she hated us so much. Was she trying to make up for some past sin? If so, it’s hard to believe her approach toward this attempt at penance would offer much redemption…
…Until the day, every so often when it was least expected, she would walk in with a not-frown and a plate of still warm, homemade chocolate chip cookies. She would sit them on the wobbly table and begin pouring a styrofoam cup of milk for each of us. Then, with sweat in her eyes, Mrs. Hankles would tell us how much she loved us – and we all knew it was true.
…thank God for old Mrs. Hankles
(Literally, take a moment to thank God for your Mrs. Hankles. Somewhere across the story of your life, she has appeared and made a slight, positive difference in the direction you were headed.)
Share your story in the comments below – 🙂