Women of Influence: Children's Sunday School Teachers

In honor of Mother’s Day, Cornerstone Christian Women’s Job Corps is offering donors an opportunity to honor “Women of Influence” in their lives by making a donation to an organization that is making a difference in the lives of women.  This got me to thinking about women have made a difference in my life. 

I’ll save the post about the women in my family for closer to Mother’s Day, but today, I want to talk about some elementary Sunday school teachers.  Nothing paralyzes me more quickly than being placed in a room full of small children.  I seriously back up against a wall and remind myself to breathe and hope the time passes quickly.  It’s terrifying.  Now, I’m not a monster who doesn’t like kids, I just don’t like to be left alone with kids.  I thoroughly enjoy being around my “nieces and nephews” when their parents are close by to provide supervision! J  

All of that to say, I have a great amount of admiration for children’s Sunday school teachers.  For pete’s sake, they VOLUNTEER to do that stuff!  Craziness.  J

I had some truly influential Sunday school teachers in my formative years.  

Barbara Sullivan taught us to memorize Psalm 1 in 1^st or 2^nd grade.  The whole 6 verses.  And, she used pictures and illustrations to teach us what it meant.  I go back to that passage so often, and in my mind, I am sitting on little plastic chairs, looking at stick figure drawings, listening to Ms. Barbara explain the dangers of slowing down to listen to ungodly counsel as well as the joys of delighting in God’s perfect Law. 

Cathy Pavon taught us to celebrate our Jesus-birthday.  I marked the day I asked Jesus to come live in my heart in my little lavender Precious Moments Bible, and I was so excited the first time we sang, “Happy Birthday to you, Only one will not do, Born again means salvation, How many have you?” and I got to shout “Two!” because I was not only celebrating a physical birthday, but a spiritual one as well. 

Vicki Clinton not only taught my Sunday School class but lived on my street, and she was crazy enough to invite groups of little girls over to her house!  She is perhaps my earliest personal example of someone who faithfully practiced the ministries of presence and hospitality, being a constant open door in my young life. 

I still have occasion to encounter these women from time to time, and each time I am blessed.  I am thankful for their investment in me, and I am honored to have them as witnesses to how the Lord has caused growth in the seeds that they planted.