Twelve-year-old Jeremy was nearly five years behind in school. He had made it only to the second grade at the Christian school he attended. Controlling his body movements was difficult and learning even more challenging. His teacher, Doris Miller, found teaching him particularly tough. He frequently squirmed and made grunting noises, but occasionally spoke clearly, as if a light briefly switched on in his brain.
Ms. Miller became so exasperated she asked for a meeting with his parents where she explained it might be better for Jeremy if he attended a special class. His mother asked he be allowed to stay because he felt safe in her class. Doris knew Jeremy had a terminal illness and it was devastating for his parents. However, she also had to think of her other students.
As Doris prayed for patience and wisdom God began to change her heart. As Easter approached Doris told her class the story of Jesus’ resurrection and emphasized the idea of new life. She gave each student a large plastic egg and asked them to, “Bring it back tomorrow with something inside that shows new life.” All the children were excited, except for Jeremy who appeared not to understand. She knew she needed to phone his parents to explain the assignment but got busy with other things and forgot.
The next day, 19 children poured excitedly into class and placed their eggs in a large wicker basket. When they opened the eggs, the contents were proudly displayed. One contained a flower, another a plastic butterfly, still another, a rock covered with moss. Each contained a symbol of new life. However, when Doris opened the next egg she inwardly moaned… it was empty! Children began to giggle and she knew she had opened Jeremy’s egg.