eWell September 9, 2009

"C" by Dr. Matthew Robinson

Last week, towards the end of class in one of the education courses I teach, a student randomly asked me what my biggest fear was as a teacher.

This question was unexpected, and I'm still not sure exactly from where it came. I just began my seventh year as an educator, and on the spot, in front of 45 pairs of eyes, I was trying to come up with something decent. It isn't students fighting. Or a lack of respect. Or showing up late one day and not knowing what to do.

"The Sixty-Nine-And-A-Halfer" I replied to the student after several seconds.

My biggest fear is not being able to reach the student who's only goal is to earn a 69.5%. That gets rounded up to a lowest possible passing 70% "C." The students who aim for earning a 69.5% meet only the bare minimum. They do as little work as possible. And they spend more time figuring out how many questions they can miss on the final exam and still pass than actually studying for the exam.

It's the student that is content with mediocrity, doesn't give a damn, and is just there to occupy space that I fear the most. I've reached through to a few of these students in my short career in education. But I haven't mastered the art of getting everyone to desire success and the potential for their best. I remember first learning as a child that not everyone goes to college, and I was perplexed why this was the case. I remember working my butt off to earn those A's, and hating the kid in class I'd see cheating just enough to not flunk that unit test. When I began teaching, and still to this day, I sweat over the kids I'm not able to breakthrough to, who are so comfortable, so content, and so go-along-with-the-ride-and-just-do-it-because that's what they have to do.

This issue doesn't stop when I release a class for a day, though. I encounter many people each week who are 69.5% life live-ers, church go-ers, faith walk-ers, and relationship do-ers. The "yeah, whatever" attitude often translates to "we're just not that into You."

Not into discovering His Truth from His Word daily.

Not into abandoning what we know is the difference between right and wrong, easy and difficult, fleeting and ever-lasting.

Not into giving our time, energy, and yes, money.

Not into building one another up.

Not into living Sundays, everyday.

I don't have this figured out. But I know that if I set my bar low enough, I reach it every time. I need to set my faith, life, and relationship bar higher, all the time. And so do you. It's the people who think they're fine because they show up, are good people, and haven't killed anybody that I fear. For where they're going...and for where they may not end up. It's what fuels me.

Because I was one of those people. An individual of contentment, comfort, and safety before the greatest story ever told changed my life. And I struggle to get over that old "self" all the time. It's all a root of selfishness, that I know I must work at getting rid of every day to follow Him, with everything.

What do you need to get over this week?

Perhaps, yourself.

Join us this Sunday as we continue this "we're just not that into You" discussion!