{Straight From the Heart} *The Best Policy* 11/3/99
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It is with great pleasure that I introduce a new writer to this list. Kristi
and I first met Pastor Scott Grafius and his lovely wife Megan, this past spring
when he accepted a position at our church as the Youth and Worship leader. They
are both extremely talented singers and song writers, and are the type of people
you know you like the instant you see them! Thank you for sharing your story with
us today, Pastor Scott, and we want you and Megan to know how much we love and
appreciate you both!
The Best Policy
In the history of Mr. Muntain's fifth grade class, no one had ever
scored an A+ on a unit test. Chapter tests were easy enough, but the
cumulative exam of three or four chapters was a stressful event in the
life of a fifth grader. The test consisted of 25 Social Studies questions,
all multiple choice. Not the easy multiple choice, mind you, where the
correct answer is obvious. These were the dreaded multiple choice for
which A,B,C and D were all true statements. Needless to say, this was
somewhat intimidating only five years into my academic career.
Yet an A+ did not seem altogether unrealistic. If fact, the very
possibility inspired me as I had never been inspired before. To the
first student to score an A+, Mr. Muntain had promised a crystal
paperweight. He held it up for us to covet. It had twelve facets,
like a large gem. Inside the crystal were five pennies, suspended as
if they were floating. We had never seen anything quite like it, and
I knew that this offer was too good to pass up.
But to me, it was more than an offer; it was a challenge. That night
I brought my Social Studies book home from school and began to outline
the chapters. I highlighted all the vocabulary terms and memorized
them. Night after night I studied until I knew most of the unit by heart.
Never had I known so much about Social Studies. My classmates were amazed
by my newfound zeal for learning. When the day of the test arrived, I was
confident that I would take home the paperweight and go down in history as
Mr. Muntain's first A+ student.
The first page of the test took no time at all. I knew every answer
with complete certainty. I was nearly finished; the paperweight was
almost mine. But suddenly I froze in panic. The very last question
on the test was out of place. It didn't belong. That question was
not from our unit at all. I don't think it was even related to Social
Studies. I tried to calm myself, remembering that I had a one-in-four
chance. With all the intellect I could muster, I played
eenie-meenie-minee-moe until one answer looked right.
To grade the tests, we exchanged papers with another student nearby.
With a trembling hand, I gave my paper to Melissa, who sat behind me.
I was so preoccupied with my test results that I wasn't able to concentrate
on correcting the paper in front of me. As Mr. Muntain read the answer for
the last question, my heart sank. My answer was wrong. As I sat in desperation,
I heard a tempting whisper in my ear. "Do you want me to change it?"
Melissa asked. I hesitated. It could have been the serpent himself
whispering in my ear. "Yes," I replied.
So there I stood in front of my classmates, knowing that I didn't
belong there. Mr. Muntain presented to me a gold seal with my name
on it, and then handed me my trophy, the paperweight. It seemed to
weigh a ton in my small hand. My pounding heart told me that I hadn't
done the right thing.
For the rest of the day, I was sick with shame. When I got home from
school I threw the wretched paperweight into the bottom of my closet,
wishing that none of it had ever happened.
I should have known better. My own past experience told me that it hurts
to be lied to. Back in the third grade, a friend named Michael and I
became interested in science and mechanics. He told me that he could
take apart his toys and use the parts to build life-sized robots with
functional lazier guns and many other similarly far-fetched tales. I
guess kids like him will say anything to make friends, and kids like me
want friends bad enough to believe anything. When I was old enough to
realize the truth, I was angry for being so easily deceived.
Well, somehow I made it through the rest of the fifth grade and then through
sixth. Time passed as it will, and eventually we moved away. I met new
friends and had new teachers. I had all but forgotten about the Social
Studies test until one day years later I was looking through a box of old
things and found that paperweight. Suddenly the events of that painful
day came rushing back to me. I looked at the paperweight and reflected on
life's changing circumstances. The "truth" had become much more complicated
since my days in the fifth grade. I was learning that there are many
different sides to every issue, much like the many facets on that paperweight.
Man is lost without some sort of universal standard of right and wrong.
Many people have claimed to have found "the Truth," following countless
religions, sciences and personal obsessions. Some were disappointed in
the end, while others died for their cause, taking the gamble that they
had found ultimate truth. But a far greater tragedy than these is the
millions who live as if there is no truth; who don't even bother to search.
We must never let go of our inherent need for something larger than ourselves.
All of this I pondered as I held that crystal paperweight with the pennies
inside. For a while I entertained thoughts of someday returning the
paperweight and confessing my wrong. Mr. Muntain is probably older now,
and wiser and kinder than ever. He would be surprised to see me at his
door. He would invite me in, and I would tell him the whole story. But
I already know what he would say. He would tell me to keep it and let it
remind me to always be honest in everything that I do.
Honesty. Honesty began to hold new meaning for me as I sat beside a box
and remembered my childhood. And to this very day I am learning about
honesty. My father told me that I have a bank account of integrity, and
everything I do is either a deposit or a withdrawal. If I am honest even
when it is difficult, people will respect my integrity. If I am dishonest,
people won't be as likely to trust me the next time. It takes a long time
to build a reputation for being honest, and just one word can destroy it all.
When I think of honesty, I think of Abraham Lincoln. His nickname was
"Honest Abe." I wonder if he was ever tempted to lie or cheat on a test.
He had the hardest test of all: trying to hold together an entire nation
in its darkest hour. Caught between two opposing sides, he probably was
mistrusted by many people. He could have disguised the truth in an effort
to please everyone. Only a man of strong character could have accomplished
what he did. He earned a place of great respect in American history for
preserving our freedom, but also for being honest.
I suppose it's no coincidence that Abraham Lincoln's face is on the five
pennies inside my paper weight. I still have it, and every time I see it
I am reminded of the importance of honesty, and the forgiveness of time.
Maybe Mr. Muntain knew the truth all along. He was the most inspiring
teacher that I ever had, because he modeled integrity. I learned much
more than Social Studies from him in the fifth grade, and he inspires
me still.
Copyright © 1997 by Scott Graffius, All rights reserved
Make sure you email Scott and let him know what you thought of his story!
His email address is:
Moin4@juno.com
Scott Graffius is (almost) 24 years old and lives with his lovely wife
Megan in Janesville, WI. Megan teaches 6th grade at Marshall Middle School.
This is her first year of teaching, and she loves it so far. Scott is the
Youth Pastor and Worship Leader at Faith Community Church, but on his days
off he most enjoys playing guitar, along with fishing, graphic design,
camping, golf, mountain biking,
cooking, reading, rock climbing, video production, snowboarding, writing
and any other creative endeavor. He is currently planning a hot New
Year's Eve party and working on his first Christian-fiction novel, "The
Morrison Project."
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REQUEST:
Michael,
We had some friends call and are friend Tom, had a heart-attack and died from it.
They were able to bring him back, but he still is not doing good.
We want to start a prayer chain for him. Can you please let everyone know.
Thanks,
Kristy
Jump2fast@aol.com
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What's the world coming to! Michael has his own weekly column on being a daddy!!
This week: Michael takes Caleb to his first swimming lessons!
Click on this link to go to ChildFun.com!
Daddy's View | Michael's Weekly Column
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Thought For The Day:
"When you are laboring for others, let it be with the same zeal as if it were for yourself."
Verse for the Day:
"Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others."
Phillipians 2:4
Kid's Thought for the day:
"Apologize for it before your mother notices the stain on your shirt."
Parent's Thought For The Day
"Happiness is inward, and not outward; and so, it does not depend on what we have,
but on what we are."
(Henry Van Dyke)
Coach's Thought For The Day
"We are not primarily put on this earth to see through one another, but to see
one another through."
(Peter De Vries)
Deep Thought For The Day:
"I can't even think of one way to skin a cat!"
_
/_/\/\ MICHAEL T. POWERS
\_\ / THUNDER27@aol.com http://members.aol.com/Thunder27/index.html
/_/ \ "For I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but
\_\/\ \ Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body I live for the Son
\_\/ of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." Galatians 2:20