MM3: Guiding the Ship, Not Scorning the Sailor

Teaching wasn’t a profession I aspired to as a kid. I dreamed of being a cardiologist, a researcher, maybe an engineer. Even though my talents pointed toward teaching, I resisted. Thankfully, God broke through my ego and placed me on the path I needed.

Along that path, one moment in a college classroom has stayed with me. A special education professor told us:

“Your favorite students will disappoint you. They’ll even hurt you.”

He went on to share how a student he deeply admired once made a terrible decision. It crushed him. But in time, he realized the student was simply being a kid—acting without thinking everything through. It wasn’t personal.

That insight stuck with me. Both as a teacher and as a father, it reminds me that my “favorites” (and they’re all my favorites) will still let me down sometimes. And that’s okay.

Ships on the Ocean

I think of kids as ships on the ocean. Their destination is adulthood. Along the way, they drift off course—sometimes by temptation, sometimes by bad habits, sometimes by a poor decision in the moment.

That doesn’t make them bad. It just makes them human. With a little correction and guidance, they can be brought back on course.

This perspective has freed me from resentment and helped me extend charity instead of taking things personally. Most of the time, kids aren’t malicious—they’re learning. What they need most is someone who can see their mistakes clearly, but also guide them with patience.

And it doesn’t just apply to students. It can apply to our children, our friends, even ourselves. We are all ships, trying to navigate the same ocean. Small corrections can make a big difference.

This Week’s Challenge

When kids—or anyone in your life—drift off course, do you scorn them… or do you help them adjust their sails?

Forge Ahead

Anvil: the place of formation.
Arrow: the mission we’re sent on.

The world needs more men formed in virtue. Forward this to a brother who’s ready to grow.