Week two of my “punishment”

Like I said in my last post, the Principal of my Christian school assigned a scripture a week as punishment for my crime of bringing weed to my Christian School. He would pray and seek God’s guidance on which verse to pick. Every one he chose for me had something to do with where I needed to change or grow. I had to study it, apply the truths to my life and share with my classmates that truth. It had to be 150 words minimum. In the beginning I counted every word, but after a while, the scriptures started to come alive on the inside of me! This so called punishment was changing my life, one day at a time.

The second week’s scripture was this one:

Ephesians 4:29 (NLV)  ”Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.”

I had a pretty foul mouth back then, at 14. My heart was changing but the outside was a process-and still is, because we never stop growing. I was brand new in my spirit, but the soul, which is my mind, emotions, and my will had some growing to do. Who would have ever thought that my punishment was going to be something that would shape my future and get me into the bible? It was starting to feel like God’s love letter to me! My classmates were a little confused about what this was all about. What was a punishment for me was actually changing me.

When I presented this to my class I had to start lining up with what I was saying. I started to choose my words more carefully. I became more conscious that my words could really help people. Imagine if we had a gong or a buzzer, like the game shows on TV that sounds when you give the wrong answer? The Holy Spirit, who comes when we accept Jesus lives inside of a believer, is there for just that! To direct us in all we do and say. Something wonderful began to happen. I started looking forward to the next scripture because the exercise of studying them was like being given a powerful flash light to help me get out of the dark place I had gotten myself into. One week at a time, one day at a time.

God doesn’t want us to be robots. He created us all different and unique. The more we walk with Him and talk with him, the more light we have to do this thing called life.

Thanks for reading along, and for going with me on this journey back in time. It only gets better from here. To think that I was so close to being sent off to reform school, which is basically school in jail for troubled kids. But someone had mercy on me and gave me another chance.

Let’s not be so quick to write people off. You never know what a little grace can do in someone’s life.

I’ll share one more “punishment” tomorrow and wrap up the story.  If you ever wanted to quit smoking, or know someone who does, this story will be for you!

http//janalackey.com/2014/01/08/the-day-my-life-changed-part-2/

Day 9-my500words http://goinswriter.com/my500words/

Photo by stockphotos