I have received several bad grades in school and many mediocre ones. I once failed Spanish in college and I made a "D" in high school geometry. Why did I earn these low grades? Let's just say that in some ways I was a mess. I simply had no passion for studying--I had no sense of direction, no clearly identifiable goals...in a sense I was waiting.
The most remarkable thing during all this was that my parents never lost trust in me, had confidence that I would eventually work it out, and never once pressured me to simply "buckle down." They sensed (absent any sarcasm on their part) that I was fundamentally searching for purpose and solid spiritual bearings through prayer and anecdotal trial and error. I was learning where I fit into this world and into God's plan. My parents showed great confidence in me and in their own security. They did not let their internal "judges" scare them into thinking that I would fail, or that I would end up a sorry lazy bum, or that I would not successfully move into maturity. This, of course, was a lasting gift and blessing for me. There are minimal psychological scars in this regard.
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