What are you giving thanks for this week?

From Steve Rohrer, our principal at the school I work at:

I am thankful for:
"Learning at school. This past week I was heavily involved in taking care of a discipline problem at school. And as I sat talking with one of the main instigators, I was learning. Students often try to hide what they have done or blame others, but I had talked to so many kids, I knew very well what had happened. So I told this student, "I know what you have done, but I want to give you the chance to be honest about it, because only when you are honest about it can you be forgiven and be free from it. Don't you see? I'm not against you, I'm for you! I'm not eager to punish you, I want to help you grow to become the kind of person you should be. I know what you've done, and I hate that kind of behavior and cannot allow it at this school, but I still love you." And as I sat there, I realized I was learning in a very experiential way about the wonderful love of God. Like my students, we all try to hide our sins or blame them on others, but God knows them all. And He just wants us to come and confess to Him that we have blown it, we've gone the wrong way. And when we do, He says He will forgive us and cleanse our hearts. He is not out to get us. Even though He knows our every thought, word and deed and hates our sin, He still LOVES US. And when He disciplines us, He is doing it for our good, to help us become the people He made us to be. By God's grace, this week I understood and felt something of what God feels as He looks at us. I understood a little more fully God's amazing love. And thanks to the Holy Spirit producing His fruit of love in me, I think my students understood God's love more too. Praise the Lord!"

What are you thankful for? I encourage you to leave a comment.