“Children, don’t resent when God corrects you, His reprimand is proof of his love." ~ Proverbs 3:11-12
Sonya grew up in a foster home,
married a twenty-eight-year-old minister at age 13, and moved to Detroit. The
couple had two sons, ages 8 and 10, together before he abandoned the family for
another woman.
With only a third-grade
education, she worked several jobs to keep her family afloat. There were days when she left before the boys awoke and didn’t
return home until they were asleep. Though
she herself had never learned to read, she knew education would be her
children's ticket to a better life. “Boys,” she advised, “if you can read, you
can learn anything you want to know.”
By all accounts,
young Bennie was a troubled boy. He doodled in class, fought on the playground,
and was disrespectful at home. When he
brought home an unsatisfactory report card placing him dead last in his fifth-grade
class, Sonya knew she needed God’s wisdom in order to help her boys.
It only took about
one month before Bennie was rushing home from school to read his latest book. Before
bed every night, he immersed himself in the Proverbs, a habit he would continue
for the rest of his life.
His mom was right.
Reading was fun, and it made him smarter.
Sonya noticed an
ember of curiosity within him and she helped fan it into a flame. She always
had faith in them. She made no excuses for herself and would accept none from
them – for their sake.
Books helped Bennie
see that he really could learn things after all. By the end of sixth grade, his
grades ranked at the top of his class. He excelled in high school, but having
only $10 for college application fees, he completed only one. Scholarships and
grants helped pay the aspiring doctor’s way through Yale and the U of M’s
School of Medicine.
At age 33, Dr. Ben
Carson became the youngest-ever Director of Pediatric Neurosurgery at Johns
Hopkins. He gained worldwide recognition in 1987 as the principal surgeon in
the successful, 22-hour separation of Siamese twins joined at the head.
What made the
difference for Ben? He didn't have a
great school district or rich, educated parents. But he did have a loving
mother who valued education deeply and conveyed confidence in him. He had a
growing faith. And he had books.
Lord, help me to see my children as who You
designed them to be. Help me focus on Godly values and habits that will impact them
for a lifetime, instead of filling up their time with activities the world says
are important. Amen
