Lesson in Love: The Lesson a Teacher Taught Me in Sixth Grade About Loving a Classmate Who was Different from the Rest of Us

 by Lynn Austin

Arthur's Turn

Peggy Serrano, the main character in my novel Long Way Home, is different from all the other children in school. Her mother died when Peggy was eleven, and she lives with her unnurturing father in a shabby apartment above his auto repair garage. Peggy is bullied and tormented by the other children, and when her neighbor finds her crying, she tells him what happened:

Some kids pushed me down in the mud on my way home from school, then they laughed at me. They always make fun of me, saying that I have cooties. Sometimes they call me “grease monkey,” and they make ape noises at me because of Pop’s garage, and because I can never get the grease out from under my fingernails after I help him. But today they made fun of me because of Buster [her raggedy stray dog]. They called me “dog girl,” and they howled and barked at me all the way home.

Peggy’s neighbor suggests she tell her teacher about the bullies, but she never does:

My teacher that year was Miss Hastings, and she looked at me the same way all the kids in my class did. I longed to stand close to her because she smelled nice, the way my mama had. I’d started to forget my mama, and I didn’t want to. But whenever I got too close, Miss Hastings would back away a little bit.

In writing this story, I was reminded of a classmate named Arthur and a lesson that our sixth-grade teacher, Mr. S., taught us. He was one of my favorite teachers, energetic and creative, stern yet fair, and generous with his encouragement and affirmation. Whenever students did something noteworthy, Mr. S. would honor them by writing their names on the chalkboard in huge letters, where they would remain for the rest of the day. I loved seeing my name up there.

Ours was a small, rural community where everyone knew their fellow classmates and their families, and we were similar in many ways. Then one day, a new student joined Mr. S.’s class who was noticeably different from the rest of us. Arthur was the only student in the entire school with black skin. His clothes and shoes were more tattered than ours. He stood a head taller than the other boys and was probably older, but he had been placed in sixth grade because he could barely read. His family had come to our fruit-growing area as migrant workers, and he spoke with a peculiar accent that was probably Haitian. It was hard to tell because Arthur barely spoke. No one befriended him.

One day in class, the topic of foreign languages happened to come up, and Mr. S. asked if any of us knew words from another language. Hands waved in the air. Students recited words and phrases they knew. Mr. S. turned it into a contest and began keeping score. My hand waved wildly. My grandmother had taught me quite a few German words and I could even recite a little rhyming prayer in German. I counted my collection of words on my fingers as I awaited my turn and was certain I would win.

But first it was Arthur’s turn. He raised his hand for the very first time and told us he spoke French. All eyes were on him. Mr. S. gushed with enthusiasm as Arthur spoke phrase after phrase. I kept score, still hoping I might be able to beat him with my German poem. Mr. S. applauded when Arthur finished and wrote his name on the chalkboard in huge letters. Arthur beamed as if lit from within and gave us his very first smile. Then Mr. S. moved on to another subject.

But wait! I didn’t get my turn! Didn’t Mr. S. see my hand? I battled tears. It wasn’t fair.

I was too immature at the time to see the wisdom and grace in Mr. S.’s actions. But in later years I understood, and the lesson has remained with me to this day. Allowing Arthur to take his turn in the spotlight was something Jesus would have done. In describing the coming Messiah, the prophet Isaiah wrote, “A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out” (42:3). In a culture that says, “Me first!” and demands my rights above all, I want to be more like Jesus, who “made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant” (Philippians 2:7).

Thank you for stopping by. Please leave a comment below for Lynn and be entered for a chance to win a copy of Long Way Home.*

About the Author

Lynn Austin has sold more than one and a half million copies of her books worldwide. A former teacher who now writes and speaks full-time, she has won eight Christy Awards for her historical fiction and was one of the first inductees into the Christy Award Hall of Fame. One of her novels, Hidden Places, was made into a Hallmark Channel Original Movie. Lynn and her husband have three grown children and make their home in western Michigan. Visit her online at lynnaustin.org.

About Long Way Home

In this gripping portrait of war and its aftermath from bestselling author Lynn Austin, a young woman searches for the truth her childhood friend won’t discuss after returning from World War II, revealing a story of courage, friendship, and faith.


Peggy Serrano couldn’t wait for her best friend to come home from the war. But the Jimmy Barnett who returns is much different from the Jimmy who left, changed so drastically by his experience as a medic in Europe that he can barely function. When he attempts the unthinkable, his parents check him into the VA hospital. Peggy determines to help the Barnetts unravel what might have happened to send their son over the edge. She starts by contacting Jimmy’s war buddies, trying to identify the mysterious woman in the photo they find in Jimmy’s belongings.

Seven years earlier, sensing the rising tide against her people, Gisela Wolff and her family flee Germany aboard the passenger ship St. Louis, bound for Havana, Cuba. Gisela meets Sam Shapiro on board and the two fall quickly in love. But the ship is denied safe harbor and sent back to Europe. Thus begins Gisela’s perilous journey of exile and survival, made possible only by the kindness and courage of a series of strangers she meets along the way, including one man who will change the course of her life.

*Giveaway prize courtesy of Tyndale House Publishers and is subject to Seekerville and Tyndale House Publishers giveaway terms and conditions. US mailing addresses only.