I learned many, many years ago that Jesus makes a wonderful partner. After I partnered with Him in stewardship, I became financially able to support my family and the cause of God. After partnering with Him in my academic pursuits, a clear path was laid out for my preparation. After partnering with Him as a pastor, He led me to pastoral and evangelistic success. Now I believe that any partnership we form with Christ is bound for complete and satisfying success.

What a privilege then for our dedicated, Christian teachers to partner with Christ in preparing our children and youth for useful service to the Kingdom of Heaven. These stalwarts are to be admired, encouraged, and prayed for as they lead out in this most important work.

A classmate of mine from more than 50 years ago sent me a story by e-mail the other day. I want to share it in this column as a reminder of the value of our teachers.

The chief executive officer of a corporation was with dinner guests one evening, and he decided to explain the problem with education. He argued, “What’s a kid going to learn from someone who decided that his best option in life was to become a teacher?” He reminded the guests what they say about teachers: “Those who can, do. Those who can’t, teach.”

To stress his point, he said to another guest: “You’re a teacher, Bonnie. Be honest. What do you make?”

Bonnie, who had a reputation for honesty and frankness, replied, “You want to know what I make?” She paused for a second and then began, “Well, I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could. I make C+ feel like the Congressional Medal of Honor. I make kids sit through 40 minutes of class time when their parents can’t make them sit for five minutes without an iPod, GameCube, or movie rental.

“You want to know what I make?” She paused again and looked at everyone at the table. “I make kids wonder. I make them question. I make them criticize. I make them apologize and mean it. I make them have respect and take responsibility for their actions. I teach them to write, and then I make them write. I make them read, read, read. I make them show all their work in math.”

She continued, “I make my students from other countries learn everything they need to know in English while preserving their unique cultural identity. I make my classroom a place where all my students feel safe. I make my students stand to say the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag, because we live in the United States of America.

“Finally, I make them understand that if they are obedient to God and use their God-given gifts and work hard and follow their dreams, they can succeed in life.”

Bonnie paused one last time, and then continued, “Then, when people try to judge me by what I make, I can hold my head up high because I know something. You want to know what I make? I MAKE A DIFFERENCE. What do you make?”

Amen, Bonnie, Amen!