By Janée Angel
Recently, I was picking up our two daughters from school one afternoon. As we were walking away from the building, I heard “Miss Janée” from behind me. I turned around and recognized a young boy, now a young man of 18 years. I had taught him in a daily after-school English class when he was in fourth, fifth and sixth grades.
He came from a Moroccan family in the neighborhood and was probably one of the worst disciplinary problems in the school, struggling with showing respect, social interaction and academics. His other teachers would often ask me to talk to him because I was the most consistent teacher in his life over those three years. And even with all his struggles, he won my heart. I took that time to connect with him and speak into his life very seriously.
So, now a young man, he was waiting for me outside the school that day. He is now in his last year of secondary school and will be starting university with the goal of becoming a lawyer. He now speaks beautiful English and is a young man filled with respect and with a continual smile. When I commented on his language skills, he said that it was all the time I spent with him. He just wanted me to know how much I meant to him.
We don’t always see the impact of pouring into someone’s life. But what a beautiful thing when we see a glimpse of how God is using us.
Janée Angel is a Cooperative Baptist Fellowship field personnel living and serving in Antwerp, Belgium, working particularly among the Arabic speaking community alongside her husband, Hary. Learn more about her ministry at www.cbf.net/angel.
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