Random Thoughts - Messy Spirituality

Check back next week for new updates and pictures (lots going on this weekend!) But for now we wanted to share something else with you...

In Mike Yaconelli’s book Messy Spirituality, he tells the story of a woman named Margaret who lived with the memory of one soul-scarring day in the one-room schoolhouse she attended...This story really spoke to our hearts, so our hope is that it will touch you too! Jeremy & Rachel

“From the first day Margaret came to class, she and Ms. Garner, her bitter and harsh teacher, didn’t get along. Over the years, the animosity between them only worsened until one fateful day when she was nine years old, Margaret’s life was forever altered. 

That day, Margaret frantically raced into her classroom after recess, late again. Ms. Garner was furious. ‘Margaret,’ she shouted, ‘we have been waiting for you! Get up here to the front of the class, right now!’ 

Margaret walked slowly to the teacher’s desk, was told to face the class, and then the nightmare began. 

Ms. Garner ranted, ‘Boys and girls, Margaret has been a bad girl. I have tried to help her be responsible. But, apparently, she doesn’t want to learn. So we must teach her a lesson. We must force her to face what a selfish person she has become. I want each of you to come to the front of the room, take a piece of chalk, and write something bad about Margaret on the blackboard. Maybe this experience will motivate her to become a better person!’ 

Margaret stood frozen next to Ms. Garner. One by one the students began a silent procession to the blackboard. One by one, the students wrote their life-smothering words, slowly extinguishing the light in Margaret’s soul. ‘Margaret is stupid! Margaret is selfish! Margaret is fat! Margaret is a dummy!’ On and on they went, until twenty-five terrible scribblings of Margaret’s badness screamed from the blackboard. 

After decades of depression and anxiety, she finally sought help and was having the last meeting with her psychologist. In this meeting, her wise counselor asked her to visualize that fateful day to extricate herself from her past. 

She said, “Well Margaret I guess it’s graduation day for you. How are you feeling?” 

After a long silence Margaret spoke, “I… I’m okay.” 

The counselor proceeded to ask Margaret to remember Ms. Garner, every child, every word, every detail of that day at the chalkboard. That part was easy. For forty years, she had remembered every detail. 

“Finally when she was done, and the tears would not stop, could not stop. Margaret cried a long time before she realized that someone was whispering her name. ‘Margaret, Margaret, Margaret.’ She looked up to see her counselor staring into her eyes, saying her name over and over again… ‘Margaret. You left out one person.” 

“I certainly did not! I have lived with this story for forty years. I know every student by heart.” 

“No, Margaret, you did forget someone. See, he’s sitting in the back of the classroom. He’s standing up, walking toward your teacher, Ms. Garner. She is handing him a piece of chalk and he’s taking it. Margaret, he’s taking it! Now he’s walking over to the blackboard and picking up an eraser. He is erasing every one of the sentences the students wrote. They are gone, Margaret, they are gone! Now he’s turning and looking at you, Margaret. Do you recognize him yet? Yes, his name is Jesus. Look he’s writing new sentences on the board. ‘Margaret is loved, Margaret is beautiful, Margaret is gentle and kind. Margaret is strong. Margaret has great courage.’” 

“And Margaret began to weep. But very quickly the weeping turned into a smile, and then laughter, and then tears of joy. After forty years, Margaret was no longer condemned, no longer alone, and no longer rejected.” (Yaconelli, p.56)