Understanding

 It’s been happening daily for weeks. 

A knock on my classroom door every day between B & C lunches.  

Every single time I get to the door no one is there and I feel my temper flare. 

Sooo annoying!! 

Each time my huff is a bit louder and my generous thoughts are a bit softer.  

It happened again today.  

But the teacher next door happened to see it.

“It was that boy in the black tee shirt!” 

I followed her pointing finger and saw a student I recognized.  

He’s been in trouble more than once.  

“I should have known”, I thought.  

And then I watched him fist bump a friend in passing.

I called his name and he turned and smiled and waved to me.  

Suddenly a flash of understanding came over me.

This young man was simply saying hello to me every time he passed my door.

I’m one of his people.  

And what seemed like an annoyance in adult terms, was a “fist bump” gesture of connection in teen terms.

That glimpse of understanding changed the rest of my day.  

How many of our unkind thoughts and annoyances with others are based on false or partially false assumptions?

How often do I lack understanding and unfairly assume intentions?

Perhaps we could all be saying Solomon’s prayer, "Lord, give me an understanding heart"  1 Kgs. 3:9.