When I agreed to tutor several third grade girls for an hour at school I had no idea what I was getting myself into. During our time together they had a terrible time listening to instructions, and there was an undercurrent of anger in the words that they spoke to one another. The girls went back and forth between snapping at each other and breaking down in tears.
I glanced at my teaching partner sitting at the other table with a group of boys, all listening and sitting up. What on earth? Why can’t these girls just act like them?
As incidents arose between the girls, I began to pull each one aside to talk to them one-on-one. I didn’t feel I was very good at character-based correction (addressing inward attitudes rather than just surface actions), but I knew it was what these girls needed.
The girls all acknowledged that they had not been demonstrating good character when I talked to them, and each agreed to apologize to the others for what she had said or done. But as they began to say “sorry” to each other it became evident that some of their apologies were not sincere. I explained to them that saying “sorry” by itself isn’t enough. We need to be willing to humble ourselves and ask for forgiveness. The girls agreed, and each of them took turns asking the others for forgiveness.
I couldn’t contain the smile on my face. I know from personal experience that asking forgiveness is one of the hardest things to do. But they did it and I was so proud of them! Even though I felt I had no idea what I was doing in my conversation with these girls, God did, and He worked it all together for good. Joy Copu
Click here to watch the story of a girl who was changed for eternity.