Reconcile

I have a poster up in my room that says, "Forgiveness and confession are relationship breathing."

Like I said yesterday, relationship is key to learning.  One problem is, we all mess up relationally.  Another problem is, many of my students don't know what to do when they mess up or when someone else messes up.  I need to teach my students how to forgive and how to confess.  These are the two most important 'skills' in a lasting relationship.

As my students make mistakes and hurt me, I use these opportunities to teach them how to apologize.  As I make mistakes and hurt them, I then try to model how to apologize.  There is no finger pointing, rationalizing, making excuses or anything else besides simply taking responsibility for your mistake in confessing.  When I realize how my actions have hurt someone else, I need to say that I was wrong, tell that person that I don't want to hurt them again and ask for their forgiveness.  I can't make anyone forgive me.

I also have to forgive others who hurt me, even if they don't ask for forgiveness.  I need to demonstrate and teach confession and forgiveness to each of my students.  We all make mistakes.  Confession and forgiveness are needed to restore a broken relationship.  Reconciliation is such important "Life Skill" to teach all of my students because we all will need to confess and forgive... it is a part of all lasting relationships.

Day 58