Johnny and Mrs. Crabtree

       Let's try a little something different. Johnny is a bright 8th grader who has his entire future ahead of him. He is an exceptional student, making straight A's and has shown he can handle any assignment or problem given to him, and do so with great success. He is also one of Mrs. Crabtree's favorite students. Mrs. Crabtree teaches history, which Johnny enjoys, but not near as much as Science. Science is what he lives for, everything he wants to be and do with all of his time. History was something that dead people have already done, events that had already occurred, things that were not going to happen again. History was, well, boring. The only thing that made him pay attention in History was his respect for Mrs. Crabtree.
       In class, Mrs. Crabtree has a very exciting assignment for her class. That is, at least to her. The project she has chosen for her students is a Civil War model of the battle of Gettysburg. All of the students must build a scaled down model, using plastic toy soldiers, canons, and horses, and then put them in correct order as the battle was fought. They must use cardboard, plastic, and make their own bushes and trees, using simple things such as pipe cleaners and brushes. Johnny rolls his eyes at the simplicity of the project, but like the rest of the class agrees to have it done by the next week.
       Johnny goes home and complains to his mother about the stupid project that Mrs. Crabtree wants them to do. His mother just shrugs, not really paying him any mind, and says "Well then, just do what you want to do. You should be teaching that class anyway. You're just as smart as any of them." Johnny thought about that and decided to do just that. Besides, Mrs. Crabtree only told him what she wanted done, she never asked his opinion on what he wanted to do. He was going to create a much more exciting project that would impress all the students, and Mrs. Crabtree as well. So he sets out to do what he always dreamed of doing.
       On the due date of the projects, all the students brought their models in. Most were exactly what Mrs. Crabtree expected. Not exactly Picasso, but she could tell they had grasped the information of the battle, and followed her instructions. She was excited to see what Johnny was going to bring, because she just knew he would bring his best. That was why she was so shocked at what she saw. Johnny's project was simply amazing! It was a volcano model, with spouting lava, electronic dinosaurs that moved and roared, and even lights that flashed with the sound of thunder. It was the most amazing volcano project she had ever seen. Which of course why it was so disappointing to her.
       "Uhm, Johnny, what is that?"
       Johnny, beaming proudly, replied, "Why, it's the best volcano model this school has ever seen. Don't you like it?"
       Mrs. Crabtree looked at the model, smiled, then slowly shook her head no. "Johnny, that is a beautiful volcano, but nothing that I asked for. I asked for a model of the Battle of Gettysburg, and gave precise instructions. Why did you do a volcano?"
       Johnny shrugged. "Well, I wanted to learn more about volcano's and dinosaurs, since science is my favorite subject. And I wanted to show this to you to prove how much I like science. Besides, you know I know all about the Civil War, so I wanted to impress you with this. You never said I couldn't do it!"
       Mrs. Crabtree sat Johnny down, and smiled at him. "Johnny, you are correct that I never said you couldn't do that project, but, by telling you exactly what I wanted, that excludes anything else that you may have wanted. I shouldn't have to tell you everything under the sun that you shouldn't do. Let me ask you something, do you believe that I'm the teacher?"
       "Of course."
       "And as the student, what is your responsibility?"
       Johnny sat and thought for a minute. "Do what you tell me to do?"
       "Exactly what I tell you to do. Anything else is, such as doing what you want, is not following directions, it is being disobedient. If you believe that I am the teacher, and the directions I give you are the only way to pass, what should you do?"
       "Do everything just as you taught me."
       "Exactly."


       Isn't it amazing how we all can understand this simple rule when it comes to school, or laws, but yet when it comes to being a Christian, many of us would rather do things our way, or the way someone else has taught us. We often forget that our teacher has already taught us everything we need to know, and He left nothing out. If we do not do everything the teacher tells us, which includes doing nothing when He says nothing, why should He give us a passing grade?