The Stories of Carol and Sammy

By Carol Fenley

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” (Matthew 19:14)

As a teacher, I have always loved the beginning of the school year.  In the past, I greatly enjoyed decorating my classroom with brightly-colored bulletin boards, and filling the shelves with never-opened books, workbooks, and school supplies. A new box of 24 Crayolas still makes me smile thinking about all the wonderful possibilities ahead of me with the students in my class.  Teaching is truly my passion – a gift from the Lord for which I am very grateful. In my retirement years, it has given me purpose to be able to continue to serve God in what He has asked me to do, and to love the little children in His name.

I have the privilege of teaching Sunday School to kindergartners and first graders at Springton Lake Church. I am blessed to have Mandy Limpert co-teaching with me. When every child enters our room, I pray that I would see each one of them through God’s eyes. Sharing God’s Word in creative ways with these precious children gives me a great joy that is hard to describe, and nothing makes me feel more thankful than getting hugs at the end of the hour.

As I reflect back on my 28 years of teaching kindergarten in Texas public schools, I can still remember many of the children and wonderful families that I got to know from my classroom experiences.  As a teacher, you always hope and pray that you can have an impact on the students who pass through your class, and even in public school, I did two things that encouraged faith in God:

First, I posted the individual character qualities of the “fruit of the Spirit” (Galatians 5:22) in big letters around the walls of my room. We would talk about what it meant to be “patient” --“kind” – “gentle” -- and so on. It also came naturally to me to say such things as, “When God made the animals, ---” or “The Bible says to treat others as you would like to be treated.”

Second, I made a “Memory Book” for every student with photos of them and the class through the year, and I added Bible verses.  It was a special remembrance gift for each of them to take home. Yes – I did this even in public school!

In 2000-2001, I had a little boy, named Sammy in my kindergarten class.  Sammy’s mom and dad were a hard-working couple originally from Mexico, and they spoke little English.  Sammy had a smile that would light up the room, and he was a joy to teach.  I grew to love him and his family.

After nearly 20 years, in 2020, I received a three-page, handwritten letter from Sammy.  He wrote that he had graduated from Texas A&M University in 2017 with a degree in psychology and minors in neuroscience and religious studies -- some of his favorite classes. Then he went through a hard time before the Lord intervened in his life.  With his permission, I quote portions of his beautiful letter to me:

It was at this time in my life when God was calling me back to Him through a series of losses and the formation of new friendships. I had wandered a long way off during college and after graduation.  I was filling my life with “vapor” as the writer of Ecclesiastes puts it.  I was taking everything and returning nothing.  Then on Sunday, May 6, 2018, I made the decision to return, and start truly chasing whole-heartedly after Jesus once more. This has not been a “pretty” process, but I suppose that is why they call it “growing pains.”  However, this has not been a decision that I have regretted. It’s quite beautiful to reflect on my journey, and see how far the Lord has brought me in such a short amount of time. It was not long after this that I made another life-altering choice.  I enlisted in the Navy, and it is almost two years now since I left for basic training.

I received job training as an Aviation Technician in Pensacola, Florida then reported to my permanent duty station here in Virginia Beach, Virginia.  I attend Grace Bible Church, and I have met some amazing people to do life with.  I have plugged into various community groups and God has truly blessed me. While I sometimes struggle with feelings of loneliness, it has given me the opportunity to dig deep into God’s Word and truly reflect on Who He is – and who He says I am.

This letter is the first in a long list of people to whom I am indebted.  I wanted you to be the first person I wrote.  There are no words I could write to express my gratitude for what you have done in my life.  How at an early age, you planted the seed of God’s Word and love into my life, and how you have been one of my many mentors in God’s grace.  Even now, I see the fruits in my life of those seeds planted so “long” ago.  I thank God for you, not nearly as much as I should – but I do.  I pray that He has been shielding you and your family during this time (co-vid), and that He has used this season of life to bring y’all closer together for His purposes.

There is still so much I would love to discuss with you, but unfortunately the nature of letters leaves this one-sided at the moment. I pray that we can see each other face-to-face again one day soon, but if not, I know I will see you in Paradise.  Thank you once again for shining God’s light, love, and grace into my life, and into the lives of many other students.  Your reward in heaven is going to be crazy awesome! May the peace of our Father be with you.

Love,

Sammy

It is my hope that by sharing some of Sammy’s letter with you -- teachers and parents alike may be encouraged by knowing that each of you are making a big difference impacting the lives of the children sitting in your class -- either in church or school – but especially at home.