A Broken Window

I was sitting at my desk at school when I heard the sound of breaking glass.  In the next instant one of the first graders made a mad dash past my window and to his class.  Of course, kids will always let you know when some other kid does a bad thing, so it was easy to find out who it was.  I discovered that Wezi Nandala was the child who had broken the window and run away quickly.

I went to the Grade 1 classroom and called him out of class.  I know his background.  Not too long ago his parents both died.  He now lives with a relative who is also taking care of two other orphans who attend our school.  When I talked to the “father” he expressed to me that Wezi had been having some trouble adjusting to his new life.

Wezi quickly admitted that he had thrown a rock to go in the flower bed but he made a “mistake” and it hit the window.  What do you do as the “Head Teacher?”  To be honest I just wanted to put my arms around him and pour love into him.  The whole time he was playing with his ear, a nervous reaction I’m sure. 

God extends grace to us for our “mistakes,” accidental and deliberate.  He knows our hurting inside.  I think too many people believe that in that situation God would make sure that we got a good spanking for breaking the window.  But God longs to just wrap us in His arms and say, “you are loved with an everlasting love!”