Homework Trouble

“My mother and daddy have gotten really mean,” Jimmy whispered to his friend, Stanley Rogers.

“Really!” Stanley whispered back. “What do they do?”

“They are making me work all—” The boys quickly shut up as Mr. Dale, the fourth grade teacher, approached where they were sitting.

“Good morning, boys,” he greeted them. “Do you have your homework this morning?”

The boys looked at each other. “I left mine on the kitchen table,” Jimmy said.

“I have mine,” Stanley said. He took a paper out of his backpack. Only the first two problems had been done.

“Well, boys,” Mr. Dale said, “you know the rule.”

The rest of the children were building a pioneer house out of logs on the playground, but Jimmy and Stanley would have to stay in to do their homework. So Jimmy quickly said, “My dad said it’s too hard for me!” Stanley nodded.

Mr. Dale took out his cell phone. He called Jimmy’s home. “Hello. Mr. Myers?… Yes, praise the Lord!… Yes, every morning has been a good morning since I got saved, too.” Mr. Dale looked at Jimmy. “Yes, sir. It’s about Jimmy. He says that you feel his homework is too hard.” Jimmy looked at his feet. “I see; he told you that I said he didn’t have to do it….”

Mr. Dale put away his phone. He looked at the boys, but they did not look at him. Then Mr. Dale began to tell about Adam and Eve. They did what God told them not to do. After they disobeyed, they felt differently. They complained and made excuses. They had to leave the beautiful garden and go away. Everything became much harder. God gave them much harder work to do, because He loved them. He did the best for them that could be done at the time. He made them work harder because He knew this was best for them.

Jimmy and Stanley did not like the sound of that.

They did not like what happened next, either. Not only did Jimmy and Stanley work at math during recess, Mr. Dale stayed after school with them. They had to memorize the multiplication tables (which they should have already learned) and pass a test before they could go home. If they started to complain, Mr. Dale would pray for them and rebuke the spirit of complaining. For supper, they had a cracker each and a glass of water. It took Stanley four times before he passed the test. It took Jimmy six times before he got to go home. And they had more homework for the next day.

Now, the boys did not think about how Mr. Dale missed his supper. They did not think about how hard he worked because of them. Oh, my, no! They only thought how unfair he was.

When Jimmy got home he was full of complaints. His dad and mom told him that they were so sorry that he was a lazy liar. He looked at them. They had tears in their eyes—even his dad.

“I haven’t lived right,” his dad said. “I haven’t done as I should for you. I haven’t been a good example.” Jimmy thought how Dad didn’t yell at him anymore. He also helped him with his homework and did things with him. “But God has made a new man of me,” Dad continued. “And I am praying that He will make a different boy of you.”