A Classroom of Love

Pastor Mike Yakawich
April 28, 2008

I experienced a classroom of love today, Monday, April 28t, at the St. Francis Upper School. Mrs. Dow, the religion teacher for the sixth graders invited me to her class to speak on the topic “The Value and Importance of Family.” I was able to speak to all three of her classes, with a total of 63 students in attendance.

Even though I was able to speak from my heart on True Family Values, I must testify that that love and joy the classes gave me was both overwhelming and inspiring. Their attention and their comments in return touched my heart as well.

I was able to share about the value of God in both our physical and spiritual families that we all share. I gave them a personal testimony of my father being adopted and how grateful I am of his adopted parents. We discovered that our family includes spiritual aunts and uncles and others who look over us, pray for us, and love us.

We could talk on the Four Realms of Heart and Love. We talked on the value of praying and attending church as a family. We then shared about the importance of not keeping secretes within a family and to find time even during a meal to report and share about our day and how we may have felt God in the day.

We were able to talk about the value of responsibly in a family. It is good for a family to have a list of chores like doing dishes, cleaning the table, taking out the garbage and cleaning up after the pets. Also, we talked on making a family tree and being respectful of your family. I encouraged the youth to talk with their grandparents and learn from them about their lives and their ancestors. I asked each of them to consider writing a personal letter to their grandparents.

The students were each given a penny. We discovered how wonderful America is to have In God We Trust on all the money made. It shows how God is and should be the center of the family.

I was able to introduce the Family Flag to the class. We talked on what the symbols mean. I then presented it to Mrs. Dow as a gift. She was very grateful and hung it up in her classroom. We also addressed the value of our body and how precious our bodies are and that we should respect each other. We should think that we are brothers and sisters and keep proper relationships now and as we get older.

I truly felt the Holy Spirit among this teacher and her students. It was my honor to share my faith with these future leaders. I would conclude with some words the students sent me in some thank-you cards:

“Thanks for everything… I just wanted to tell you that I am starting to pray more by myself and with my family.”

“When I told my family about what you told me, it brought us closer together, thanks!”

“Thank you for all you have done for me! I have been talking with my mom and we found many ways we can improve our family and our relationship. I also realized that it is not a bad thing to be adopted.”

“I went home and did things that you told us to do and they were proud of me.”

“Thank you for coming to tell us the importance of the family and the different kinds of love….I learned a lot.”