A Man Of God, For The Glory Of God

“It takes a man of God, with the Word of God, and the Spirit of God, to make the children of God, for the glory of God.” –Jack Wellman, Christian author

As the school year commenced in 1971, I found myself, as a sixth-grader, in very unfamiliar territory with no choice but to concede to change. Because of the reconfiguration of the school corporation in which my family lived, my siblings and I had to switch schools because of new bus routes. The school I attended in the small town of Schnellville was a public school, but every teacher there was a Benedictine sister. Each morning before classes began, we students attended Mass at Sacred Heart Church, which was adjacent to the school grounds. But, as fate would have it, in 1971 I would have to leave what I had become comfortable with and begin life as a sixth-grade student at the grade school in the nearby community of Birdseye.

As an introvert, I knew the transition would not be easy for me. I had much anxiety as the school year began. Even though two classmates would be moving with me, I knew I would miss my old friends and my familiar surroundings. I would no longer be attending Mass each day, nor would I be influenced by the sisters I had become so accustomed to having as my teachers. While this time in my life was extremely challenging, I have looked back numerous times over the years at this transitional period and have come to realize how much the events of those years I spent as a grade-school student in Birdseye impacted me in a positive way.

One such event involved my first teacher at Birdseye, Ralph Smith. Mr. Smith was very welcoming to the three of us who were new students in his class. He made a “big deal” over us; and although it was a slow process for me, my new classmates eventually became my new friends. There was one thing Mr. Smith did each Monday morning, however, that intensified my anxiety. He would ask all in the class who had attended church on Sunday to please raise our hands. Each week the number of us who raised our hands varied, but each and every week we new students, the three Catholics, raised our hands. He stressed to the entire class the importance of attending church services every Sunday. To my dismay at that time, Mr. Smith pointed this out to the rest of the class by praising us Catholics for doing just that. As he made an example of us, I cringed. I just wanted to quietly blend in. It took some time, but eventually I could raise my hand without the fear of standing out in the crowd.

When I came across the above quote from Jack Wellman, I had a flashback to Mr. Smith and this uncomfortable time in my life. It was a “wow” moment that brought tears to my eyes as I realized Mr. Smith’s action for what it truly was; a beautiful witness of faith from a man of God, for the glory of God. Ralph Smith was concerned about our salvation as the children of God. I look back on those Monday mornings in 1971 with a profound sense of admiration for Mr. Smith and a thankful, humble heart that I crossed paths with this man of faith.

As we all take a moment to look back on our lives at the many, many people who, like my former teacher, Ralph Smith, have deepened our faith by answering the call of Jesus to “make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28: 19), let us pray with gratitude for their fearless example, that with the help of the Holy Spirit we will follow in their footsteps, undaunted, and boldly do our part “for the glory of God.”

Brenda Hopf is a member of Divine Mercy Parish in Dubois County and also contributes to the “Sharing the Load” column in The Message.