I loved Sunday School. The inspiration and dedication of one teacher in particular was responsible for a life-changing glimpse into who I really am.
A member of my family had been telling me for several years that I was dumb. I had accepted the pronouncements without question. One Sunday before our Sunday School class session began, one of the girls in the class was telling the teacher about some interesting school projects in which she was involved. Suddenly, our teacher turned to me and said, “Suzanne! That’s something you might be interested in doing, too.” I immediately assured her I was way too dumb to do anything like that.
Immediately, the teacher turned to me, and looking me straight in the eye, lovingly but firmly countered with clear and forceful declarations of truth, assuring me I was God’s loved and intelligent child, endowed with full capacity to do whatever was right for me to do. I was absolutely stunned and could hardly believe my ears.
I eagerly embraced that good news, cherished it, and delighted in this amazing and inspiring view of who I really was. From that Sunday School session two things resulted: First, the declarations from my family member that I was dumb immediately ceased. Second, my grades improved over the next two years resulting in being ranked in the top 5 percent of my high school graduating class of over 300 pupils. That day at Sunday School truly was life-changing. There were other wonderful glimpses of spiritual truths during my years in Sunday School—but this one certainly made the biggest impact on my thinking, and I remain so grateful.
