Dare To Believe The Best

Professor Howard Hendricks writes: "By the 5th grade I felt insecure, unloved and angry at life. My teacher, Miss Simon, apparently thought I was blind to the problem because she regularly reminded me, 'Hendricks, you're the worst child in this school.' So I proceeded to live up to her opinion of me. Upon entering the 6th grade, my new teacher, Miss Noe, glanced over to where I was sitting, defiantly, just waiting to go into action. Smiling she said, 'Hendricks, I've heard a lot about you but I don't believe a word of it!'

"That was a turning point in my life. For the first time, somebody saw potential in me! Miss Noe put me on special assignments. She invited me to stay after school and work with her. As a result, I couldn't let her down. Once I got so involved in my homework, I stayed up until 1:30 am. My father came down the hall and said, 'Son, are you sick?' I replied, 'No, I'm doing my homework.' He rubbed his eyes and shook his head in disbelief; he'd never heard me say anything like that before. What made the difference? Somebody was willing to believe in me, while challenging me with higher expectations. That was risky, because there was no guarantee I'd honour her trust."

Everybody likes the end product of mentoring, especially when it yields a peak-performer. But how many of us are willing to risk dealing with the person on the front end? Those who are, demonstrate the kind of love that - never fails!

** courtesy of The Vine **

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God Bless!!!

Adam