Corinthians 13 for Homeschool Moms and all Teachers Everywhere

Thanks to a friend on FCL's e-list, I had the perfect meditation/prep-for-school-this-morning note in my email today. Seems someone posted the following edited version of Corinthians 13 in a local homeschool newsletter (the author is unknown). I think it applies to all teachers everywhere -- whether at home, in a private school or a public school -- and at all ages -- whether the "littles" or the "bigs" -- all need to be shown love. I thought the following would be especially appropriate as we wind down the school year and the kids are a bit distracted and the push is for grades and tests and DOING -- when it should be on LOVING.

I hope my readers enjoy reading it too:

Though I teach my children how to multiply, divide, and diagram asentence, but fail to show them love, I have taught them nothing. Andthough I take them on numerous field trips, to swim practice and flutelessons; and though I involve them in every church activity, but fail to give them love, I profit nothing. And though I scrub my house relentlessly, run countless errands, and serve three nutritious meals every day but fail to be an example of love, I have done nothing.

Love is patient with misspelled words and is kind to young interrupters. Love does not envy high SAT scores of other homeschool families. Love does not claim to have better teaching methods than anyone else, is not rude to the fourth telephone caller during a science lesson, does not seek perfectly behaved geniuses, does not turn into a drill sergeant, thinks no evil about friends' educational choices. Love bears all my children's challenges, believes all my children are God's precious gifts, hopes all my children establish permanent relationships with Christ, and endures all things to demonstrate God's love.

Love never fails.

Where there are college degrees, they will fail; where there is knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know in part and we teach in part. But when the trials of life come to our children, the history,math, and science will be done away and faith, hope and love will remain; but the greatest of these is love.