Recently the St. Joseph
High School cross-country team, in California, took more than a dozen shelter
dogs to accompany them on their morning run.
Each athlete ran with one of the dogs from the Santa Barbara County
Animal Shelter. It seems that the event
was a successful win/win for the runners and dogs alike. Coach Luis Escobar says he hopes to repeat
the run again soon. He is also in hopes
that the runners from other schools will give it a try as well.
Cale Wrenn, 14 years
old, is somewhat small for his age. He
is used to being called names or having comments made about his height. Unfortunately, the trend continued as he
entered his freshman year at a high school in North Carolina. On the first day of school, Cale ate alone
and tolerated the taunts. When Cale’s
older sister found out about what had happened, she reached out by sending a
tweet. Several members of the varsity football
and basketball teams, along with other students, responded by taking it upon
themselves to befriend Cale, eat lunch with him, show him around the school, and
make sure he felt included. Tyvon Smoot,
one of the seniors, remembers a time when he, too, used to sit by himself. Wrenn is very grateful for his new group of
friends, but he also wants others to be included as well. “I know I’m not the only person that sits
alone at lunch. In different periods
there are different freshmen and juniors and sophomores who sit alone at lunch
and I just wish we can do something for them, too.”
On the first day school,
Christian Moore, a second grader, along with other students, was outside of
Minneha Core Knowledge Magnet Elementary School, in Wichita, Kansas, eagerly
waiting for the doors to be opened. Christian noticed
Conner, also a second grader, standing by himself and crying. Even though they did not know each other
well, Christian went over to Conner, took him by the hand, waited with him, and
then walked with him into the school. What
may seem like a small act of kindness was a big deal, according to Conner’s
mother, April Crites. Conner has autism
and sometimes new experiences overwhelm him.
When he arrived home that afternoon, Conner told his mom that he had a
great first day and liked his class and teachers. The Crites’ had not seen the picture of the
boys holding hands until a few days after it was posted. They were both very touched at Christian’s
sensitivity and kindness. According to
Crites, “The lesson is to remember that everyone is struggling with something
that may be invisible to those around them.”
Since the first day of school, Christian and Conner have become best
buddies.
It doesn’t always take
special training, a college degree, or other credentials to make a difference in
someone’s life. A response from a heart
tug will do just fine.
“Teacher,
which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
Jesus
replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul
and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the
second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the
Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Matthew 22:36-40
Do
not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
James 1:22
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