God's call

God does His things in various ways. Sometimes, He does them Himself. In other times, He calls different people to work out His decree. For example, Abraham, Moses, Samuel and the many prophets, even Babylonian and Persian kings in the Old Testament. Today, we read the call of Samuel in 1 Samuel 3:1-10, 19-20.
1 Samuel 3:1 sets the atmosphere at that time. The boy Samuel was ministering the Lord under a priest called Eli. But in those days, the revelation of God was rare. In 1 Samuel 3:3, we read of the existence of a temple in Shiloh where the Ark of Covenant dwelled. The temple was served by Eli. He was old and blind.  The boy Samuel served him at that time. So, there was already a temple to house the Ark before Solomon's time.
1 Samuel 3:7 continues to explain that at that time, Samuel did not know the Lord. So, when God called Samuel, he thought that Eli was calling him at night. He ran to Eli who sent him back to sleep. God called Samuel three times. The third time, Eli understood that the Lord was calling Samuel to His service (3:8). So, he taught him how to respond to the call "Speak, LORD, for thy servant hears." (3:9). God called the fourth time and Samuel knew how to answer.
And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. (3:19)
The experience of Samuel was a true representation of many of us. Serving in the temple did not necessarily make Samuel know the Lord. Similarly, being baptised, going to church on Sundays, studying for a biblical diploma ... etc. do not necessarily guarantee us an intimate union with God. Of course, our title is still a Christian. Going into the classroom to teach does not make me a teacher. Of course, my title is but the children in the classroom do not necessarily learn anything at all from me. (Pardon me for the archaic language. Nowadays, instead of saying 'to learn with a teacher', it is more fashionable to say 'to learn from a teacher' instead.) Neither does holding a PhD make any man a competent enough principal of a school. At the end of the day, we have to admit humbly that we are all sinners in need of God's grace.
As a teacher, I cherish some convictions. I see my students as children entrusted into my hands from Jesus. It is my belief that on Judgment Day, I will be held accountable for all my failures, all the occasions in which I fail as a teacher. On the other hand, I have reasonable expectations on my students as well. But I can only feel pity on those who do not put in enough efforts in their studies, who spend their time on computer games and dating, who simply copy their homeworks to satisfy your requirements. Punishment is no longer an option these days. Saying the rosaries has been a constant source of support for me to go through these disappointments. If I have sounded too pessimistic, let me assure you that I have been much privileged to have been one of the teachers of very many professionals who are now contributing to this hustling city. Praise be to God!

My Lord, let me learn from blind Eli. Probably his blindness made him humble, patient, kind-hearted and wise. He had the wisdom to steer Samuel to You. May my illness make me humble and patient as well. May Your loving care warm my heart aglow. Grant me wisdom so that I may also be able to guide my students to know and love You more. Amen.