It so happened that Aram, on one of its raiding expeditions against Israel, captured a young girl who became a maid to Naaman’s wife. One day she said to her mistress, “Oh, if only my master could meet the prophet of Samaria, he would be healed of his skin disease.
2 Kings 5: 2-3
Naaman was the commander of the Syrian army that had captured a young Israelite girl and brought her back as his wife’s maid.
You can imagine how her life was turned upside down.
Taken from her family and friends into a foreign country, she barely understood the language.
Her hopes and dreams were shattered, and it’s all because of Naaman.
You would think she hated him.
But whenever he came home and took off his armor, hidden underneath was the leprosy, eating away his body.
She could have thought, “I hope you die.” But instead, she was full of mercy and offered the remedy through which he was completely healed.
All because she showed kindness to someone who had done her wrong.
It’s easy to hold a grudge, try to pay someone back, ignore them, and make them suffer, but all that does is hold you down. Jesus says, “God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy.”
Be good to someone who doesn’t deserve it.
Teaching is a passion, and my experience as a teacher has been beautiful, emotional and fulfilling. Over the years, I’ve watched the student – teacher equation evolve: From Guru, as all-knowing to Guru as friend and equal, as someone who doesn’t always know the best. Today’s teacher and the learner are partners in the process of teaching and learning. We inspire, motivate and learn from each other; if I don’t know, I can admit it to my students. The teacher is only a facilitator; one who will help the student grow, become a self-learner. The teacher is only one of many sources. Not infrequently, there is a role reversal. With children being so tech-savy, often I am the student and they are my teachers. Has teaching changes the way I think ? Yes, most certainly. My students have shown me how to manage time. I marvel at how deftly they juggle sports, academics, dance, and theatre, for instance. I have learnt how to accept failure as I see my students taking success and failure with equan...
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