A Sonshine Friend retired after a distinguished vocation, as a college professor. He felt his calling to teach was a gift from the Lord. One unfinished task that troubled his soul was a student who had for years procrastinated to get her dissertation completed. She would not graduate. He had given her numerous extensions to complete her assignment, but each time she failed to meet the deadline. She was running out of time, since the college informed her that her privileges as a matriculating student were about to be suspended. So, he called upon her once again and encouraged her to complete her final requirement.There were more delays, but he received a surprise on the 28th of the month with only 3 days left before the final deadline. It was the dissertation that she needed to complete. He quickly edited her work that very same day and asked her to simply follow his instructions to make the necessary corrections so that she could graduate in the summer. In reviewing her final work, he judged her thesis on the basis that for this student “this was the best work that she could do.”
What a marvelous and profound statement to make about a person. Here is a professor who knows his students. He never gave up on her. Throughout her tenure as a student, he kept encouraging her to preserve despite the obstacles that plagued her life. She was victim to the many illnesses, family problems and stresses that bog us down from keeping our sights focused on the important goals in life.
Another teacher might have simply laid out the policy, stated the deadline and failed her. There are standards that all students have to accept and if circumstances prevent us from completing our assignments then perhaps we were not met to be a teacher, a nurse or a priest.
However, I believe this kind-hearted teacher knew his student, as the Lord knows each of us. This professor wanted her to succeed and graduate. In the same light, God wants us to succeed and gain eternal life. This compassionate professor understood her limitations and instead of failing her or giving up, he could not help himself but firmly kept encouraging her to stay the course. When threatened to lose her status as a matriculating student, he admitted his tactics became firmer with the urgency to complete the dissertation. To his delight, he made his corrections and knew this final work was “the best that she could be.”
I believe that Lord sees us in exactly this same light. With our weaknesses and excesses, he sees that our efforts often do not measure up to the standards we are called upon to practice. We were not married in the “correct form” or our children “came before the wedding” or our faith tradition does not conform to “salvation dogma." Despite these shortcomings, I believe God’s sees only the good in our hearts. Like my dear professor who kept encouraging his student to “do her best.” God knows we are capable of great acts of charity and mercy.
The Lord prays for us as we reflect: “You give me your shield of victory, and your right hand sustains me; you stoop down to make me great.” (Psalm 18:35).
Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine friends who are faced with decisions where they have procrastinated because of weakness. We have put off decisions to quit smoking, or drinking or taking those non-prescribed drugs to ease our emotional pain. Give us your Spirit to know what is “our best” and surrender any desire to control the outcome. Sometimes the best thing we can do when we fall short of our goals is to let God carry us across the finish line.
