story

[vidhu]

“Please come up to my Desk,Nancy“,my geography teacher requested.

“Why is she calling me?I wondered.I didn’t even know that she knew my name.As far as I could remember,she had never spoken to me.I was a very shy & quite student.I succeeded to make average grades,even though I didn’t study.I wasn’t one of her best students or one of her worst.

I was simply an “average” student.

Unfortunately,average kids don’t usually get noticed.I have found that teachers tend to pamper smart kids and help the slow kids,when they are not trying to discipline the bad kids. Average kids somehow,get lost in the shuffle.

I rose from my seat & tiptoed,hesitantly,toward her desk.Around me,my friends were whispering & snickering.I began to tremble.

Wat did I do?I asked myself,as Istood at herdesk.

She looked up at me & placed her pen on her desk.She began to shuffle thru some papers.Did you call me?I whispered.I was hoping I had misunderstood.

I certainly did,younglady,she answered,as she pulled several pieces of paper from the bottom of the rustled stack.Is this your test,Nancy?

Yes,I replied.It was an essay test,which consisted of 3 very difficult questions.I had answered each of them to the best of my ability,even though I didn’t have a clue as to what the correct answers were.

Did you study,Nancy?she quizzed.

No I didn’t.I confessed,expecting her to tear my test in half.

I didn’t think so,she declared,as she placed an‘A’on my paper.

An‘A’?I inquired.

Yes,she said.Why do you look so surprised?You have a way with words like I’ve never seen before.You earned it.But please study next time.

As I started to walk away,she called my name again.When I turned around,she was smiling.

“u r going to be a great writer someday”she said.I believe in you.
I was elated. I had my very first ‘A’ in that class. But better than that, I knew that my teacher believed in me, even though I didn’t even believe in myself. From that day on, I studied diligently and brought my grades up. “ If my teacher believed in me, I couldn’t let her down,” I decided.

That day was a turning point in my life. I never forgot her words.

I began my writing career thirty years later have now been published in numerous books and periodicals.

Encouragement goes a long way in the life of a child. Teachers can help a child form a foundation on which to build a life of success.

“ You’re going to be a great writer someday,” she said. “ I believe in you.” What a difference those few words made in my life!

[sonu]

Re: story

Let me post one more story

Refined Silver: a nice bit of Jewish wisdom

There was a group of women that met for Bible study.
While studying in the book of Malachi, chapter three, they came across verse three which says:
"He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver."

This verse puzzled the women and they wondered how this statement applied to the character and nature of G-d. One of the women offered to find out more about the process of refining silver, and to get back to the group at their next Bible study.

The following week, the woman called up a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him while at work.
She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest, beyond her curiosity about the process of refining silver.

As she watched the silversmith work, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up.
He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire, where the flames were the hottest as to burn away all the impurities.

The woman thought about G-d holding us in such a hot spot, then she thought again about the verse, that "He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver."
She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the entire time the silver was being refined.
The man answered, yes, that not only did he have to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on it the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left even a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.

The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith,
"But how do you know when the silver is fully refined?"

He smiled at her and answered, "Oh, that's easy - when I see my image in it."

If today you are feeling the heat of the fire, remember that you are in G-d's hand, He has His eye on you, and He will keep holding you and watching you until He sees His image in you.