Chicken Soup for the Soul: A Book of Miracles
BY: Kristy Duggan
There is nothing on earth worth being known, but God and our own souls.
~Gamaliel Bailey
"Those things never really happen," said Michael, sitting in the front row of my eighth-grade classroom. I had just read a story from Chicken Soup for the Soul about a teenager who dropped his books while walking home from school one day. He was planning to commit suicide. However, because another boy stopped to help him pick up his books, his mind was changed and he went on to be successful in high school and beyond.
My students had listened quietly while I was reading. I was surprised to hear Michael's voice filled with so much doubt.
I defended the story, saying, "Chicken Soup for the Soul is a book series telling only true stories that happen to ordinary people. Actually, I have a personal story of a similar event that could be in a Chicken Soup for the Soul book."
I don't know why I said that; I didn't want to tell my personal story. It was so unbelievable that most non-Christians would think I was crazy.
However, the class begged to hear about my experience. Even Michael seemed interested. Looking at the clock, I decided that there was just enough time before the bell rang. Starting slowly, choosing the words to my religious story very carefully, I shared:
"I attended a church youth group on Wednesday nights when I was in high school. One night while I was sitting on the floor in the audience listening to the youth pastor, I heard a voice in my head. It kept saying, 'Go take the microphone. I have something for you to say.' I argued with the voice in my head, looking around to see if anyone else was hearing things.
"The voice reassured me, 'Go up on stage. Tell the man that you need the microphone. I will give you the words.' I argued some more, seriously beginning to worry that I had lost my mind.
"However, I found myself on the small stage, interrupting the pastor who was just about to dismiss the group to play games. He gave me the microphone and I stood facing the audience of about sixty teenagers, my peers.
"I don't know where the words came from but I heard myself saying, 'Someone here tonight is planning to commit suicide. The Lord has asked me to come up here and tell you not to do it. He has a plan for you and loves you. Tell someone how you feel.'
~Gamaliel Bailey
"Those things never really happen," said Michael, sitting in the front row of my eighth-grade classroom. I had just read a story from Chicken Soup for the Soul about a teenager who dropped his books while walking home from school one day. He was planning to commit suicide. However, because another boy stopped to help him pick up his books, his mind was changed and he went on to be successful in high school and beyond.
My students had listened quietly while I was reading. I was surprised to hear Michael's voice filled with so much doubt.
I defended the story, saying, "Chicken Soup for the Soul is a book series telling only true stories that happen to ordinary people. Actually, I have a personal story of a similar event that could be in a Chicken Soup for the Soul book."
I don't know why I said that; I didn't want to tell my personal story. It was so unbelievable that most non-Christians would think I was crazy.
However, the class begged to hear about my experience. Even Michael seemed interested. Looking at the clock, I decided that there was just enough time before the bell rang. Starting slowly, choosing the words to my religious story very carefully, I shared:
"I attended a church youth group on Wednesday nights when I was in high school. One night while I was sitting on the floor in the audience listening to the youth pastor, I heard a voice in my head. It kept saying, 'Go take the microphone. I have something for you to say.' I argued with the voice in my head, looking around to see if anyone else was hearing things.
"The voice reassured me, 'Go up on stage. Tell the man that you need the microphone. I will give you the words.' I argued some more, seriously beginning to worry that I had lost my mind.
"However, I found myself on the small stage, interrupting the pastor who was just about to dismiss the group to play games. He gave me the microphone and I stood facing the audience of about sixty teenagers, my peers.
"I don't know where the words came from but I heard myself saying, 'Someone here tonight is planning to commit suicide. The Lord has asked me to come up here and tell you not to do it. He has a plan for you and loves you. Tell someone how you feel.'
"I sat down fast and was in shock at what I had done. Now, the story could end here, with my friends looking at me oddly, but it doesn't. A couple of months later, my mom bumped into a woman from the church, an acquaintance of hers. They exchanged pleasantries and then the woman told my mom a story about her daughter. She had been planning to commit suicide but didn't. She arrived home one night after youth group and told her mom what she was thinking about doing and what I had said that night."
Looking around, I noticed that my students were very quiet as they listened to me reminisce. I smiled. "I have shared this story with only a few people. It still gives me goose bumps to think about it."
As I took a deep breath and wondered if I had said too much in a public school, the classroom radio popped on, loudly playing the song "Spirit in the Sky." No one was near the radio.
The whole class sat in awed silence for several moments. Everyone looked around a bit dazed, listening to the Spirit in the sky... and our classroom.
Looking around, I noticed that my students were very quiet as they listened to me reminisce. I smiled. "I have shared this story with only a few people. It still gives me goose bumps to think about it."
As I took a deep breath and wondered if I had said too much in a public school, the classroom radio popped on, loudly playing the song "Spirit in the Sky." No one was near the radio.
The whole class sat in awed silence for several moments. Everyone looked around a bit dazed, listening to the Spirit in the sky... and our classroom.
http://www.beliefnet.com/Inspiration/Chicken-Soup-For-The-Soul/2011/02/Spirit-in-the-Classroom.aspx?source=NEWSLETTER&nlsource=49&ppc=&utm_campaign=DIBSoup&utm_source=NL&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_term=mail.ru
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