When Prayer in School is Still Permitted

 

On May 20th, a rare EF5 tornado slammed the town of Moore, Oklahoma.  The devastation was unbelievable.  At least 24 are confirmed dead, and dozens more are injured.

Along the tornado's path there were two elementary schools.  Tragically, at least 7 children were killed at Plaza Towers Elementary School.  But at the other, Briarwood Elementary, all miraculously survived.

In an interview with a 2nd grade teacher at the latter school, there are several things that hero Tammy Glasgow said and did that were courageous and inspiring.  (Please watch the interview by clicking the link above.)


Here is a portion of the story:

"....Right before the tornado hit, she hurried students into two bathrooms and a closet. There were about eights boys in the boys' bathroom, including Glasgow's son, and a dozen girls in the girls' bathroom.

She and other adults were with three children in the closet.

"Before I shut the doors, because both bathrooms had doors, I said, 'I'm going to shut these doors,' and I said, 'I love you.' The boys looked at me a little strange. (I) walked in the girls' (bathroom) and said, 'I love you' and they all said 'I love you' back.

"I just told them to pray, and then that's what we did the whole time in the closet, just prayed," said Glasgow.

The storm blasted through..."

Among other things, I see two powerful things in this story:  Love and Prayer.  I thank God for teachers like Tammy Glasgow.  And I thank God that He spared all their lives, and enabled Tammy to tell this amazing story.


Love.  She loved her students, as if they were her own children.  She cared for them, and told them to do what was right and what was good for them... and she provided protection for them in the storm.  She loved them.  Oh, how she loved them.  It reminds me of Someone else I know.  And because she loved them, she taught them and commanded them to pray.


Prayer.  Prayer is powerful because of the One we beseech.  Will the ACLU move to prosecute this teacher for telling her students to pray?  No.  Is it okay to remove prayer from schools, except when a tornado is coming?  No.

Will God be glorified, in spite of our own depravity as a nation?  Yes.

"Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears us up;  God is our salvation.  Our God is a God of salvation, and to God, the Lord, belong deliverances from death." (Psalm 68:19,20) 

I thank God for Tammy Glasgow... and for others I know that are like her.