Chapter 3 Honey

Again, it was Sunday for the gang living in Hidden Valley, a town so close knit that everyone knew everyone and they all attended the same church. So, seeing the third grade teacher on the fourth pew was not a big deal. What was a big deal was that she originally sat in the third pew not knowing that it was always used by a rather large family. Whispers filled the tiny chapel and word spread like melting butter scoots acoss a warm frying pan that "Miss Hissippie had sat in the dew pew".

She heard without being told that she had mistakingly taken the wrong seat and so she moved. The Dew family always sat in the third pew. Their third child was a girl named Honey. Honey Dew was unlike her siblings in that she was quite out spoken. Often, Miss H. had placed her in the corner but, she became adapt at passing notes.

The Church was a place that usually had an air of respectful quietude. To the children, including Honey, it was plainly boring and silent. Mrs. Dew carried an arsenal of activities to maintain the facade of reverant observance. This day was fortunate in that the wee ones chose to quietly sit and color mostly books with religious pictures, but this backfired when their mother gathered the books and whispered that it was time to say a prayer.

The youngest children did not really pray, but Honey and the older two were expected to set the right example. But, Honey wasn't feeling the desire to comply, so her mother leaned over and whispered "at least think about Jesus." But, she still kept coloring her Stawbery Shortcake Book and blurted loudly in reply, "I am thinking of Jesus. Where do you think the Sunshine comes from to grow Strawberies?"
"Honey." Her mother spoke in hushed tones "I believe you, but think of the example."
This she said spreading out her hands in a gesture that included all siblings.

And from that tiny little happening, Honey's life was changed. From that point onward she was very cautious to always set the right kind of example, probably to extreme. Later that evening, at home, Honey asked a strange question.

"Mom? Why do we call our teacher Miss Hissippie?" She asked out of genuine concern to be proper and she had decided that it didn't seem proper.
Her mother answered, "That is something you should ask her. It is quite good of you to find out what she prefers and use that, it will set a good example for the rest of your class." That was exactly the right thing to say at the right time.

And, so we learn that a mother can effect an entire class and, in a way, effect an entire world without any of her childen ever even being a president. God truly works in mysterious ways.