Teaching is an honorable profession. To formally qualify takes years of education and practice. Even as I say this, I need to acknowledge that some of the best teachers in my life have been under the age of six. They give instruction and feedback without consideration for who I am or the situation at hand.
He was big enough to deserve his own seat yet young enough to fly on his mother’s lap. His bright eyes and curiosity reminded one that there is more to life than our deadlines and responsibilities. While his mom was armed with books, games, and toys, he wanted more! At every opportunity, he pushed the boundary. He was ready!
For most of the flight, he stayed in his invisible box. He didn’t squawk, but you knew he wanted more. Life is learning. He was in the learning business. I had concluded that he was trapped; then the perfect moment arrived. With a quick duck under his mom’s legs, he was free and through the curtain into business class. You could hear footsteps racing away and then it changed. He was on the way back. By the time his mom realized he had gone, he was back with amazed, open and excited eyes. He willingly ran to his mom’s arms, gave her a hug of assurance, and squirmed for more.
Being taught by a child is wonderful! They give freely. They teach without commentary on your intellectual prowess (or lack of). They expect nothing in return. Best of all, they are happy to repeat the lesson if you do not get it the first time. Others provide everything required for living.
I hear God calling each to be a child-like teacher. Share what you live. Do not worry about compensation or payment. Realize that “much of the time we don’t have enough to eat, we wear patched and threadbare clothes, we get doors slammed in our faces, and we pick up odd jobs anywhere we can to eke out a living.” (1 Corinthians 4.12) Our currency rests in sharing what we live.
