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Samantha’s Story

The third try and my car still wouldn’t start! I had just begun my brand new teaching career at the Seventh-day Adventist school in Mildura Victoria, Australia, and I had been having terrible car trouble getting to school each day. I so desperately wanted to enjoy my new teaching role, especially since the school also had a new Principal—Mr. Cyril Hill—who I also wanted to impress. But each morning my car just wouldn't start after it had hit a kangaroo and had ongoing engine troubles. Sure my teaching colleagues had been wonderful at coming to pick me up if my car completely failed to start, but this morning when I rang and said my car would not start again, Mr. Hill decided he would intervene.

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First he drove my colleague Michelle in his beloved EH Holden to my house. Then he took charge by personally taking my car to his own mechanic to get it fixed once and for all. In the mean time I was to drive his precious car, with my colleague, to school to begin my teaching day. Oh the sheer terror of driving my Principal’s precious car! I said a quick prayer, got in and started it up. So far, so good. Off we drove, slowly, carefully. I was just relaxing and thinking it was all going well when suddenly a dog dashed out from between parked cars and BANG, I ran straight into it!

Panic. I raced out and picked the dog up and noticed it had some blood coming from it’s back leg. With tears in my eyes I bundled it into the back seat just as two hysterical children came running across the road screaming out the name of their dog. Which I had just hit. In my Principal’s car. I bundled the children into the back seat with the bleeding dog—noting that there was now blood on the beautiful, leather upholstery.

My colleague Michelle seemed to be making strange choking noises next to me and I was too scared to ask her how she was, as all I could focus on was getting the children and the dog to their house, after they gave me tear filled directions.

Upon arrival I lifted the dog out, who cheerfully jumped down and started barking madly, then with fearful trepidation I awaited the childrens’ mother who came flying to the door after the kids had gone tearing in. With a hammering heart, I told her what had happened and how I would be happy to take the dog to the vet. Thankfully she said not to worry, the dog was a terror for running away and it was his own fault! Whew!

 She gave me an old towel to wipe down the back seat and then Michelle and I resumed our trip to school. It was now ridiculously late! Michelle started making the choking noises again, so this time I looked at her, fearing a trip to the hospital might be in order, when she burst out into hysterical laughter at everything that had gone wrong. I, however, could not join in on the mirth as I was about to meet my Principal! As I arrived and parked at the school, I saw Mr. Hill at the office door. I trudged over to him, praying that God would give me the courage to face the fact that I had hit a dog with his precious car, the dog had bled all over his upholstery and he had to waste his morning getting my car fixed—not a great way to impress the Principal.

Finally I told my whole story and then looked into his face, preparing for the worst. But what I met was compassion, relief and maybe even a hint of humor. Finally he spoke, “Are you okay? I am so glad you are all right, you are important to us!” At that moment, I realized that in spite of everything, my well-being was valued above all else.

I have never forgotten this incident, nor have I forgotten how valued employees are in Adventist Education. This happened 29 years ago, and I am so grateful and feel so blessed that God has given me the opportunity to be a teacher in His ordained schools across three different states in Australia, and I am still part of this wonderful teaching ministry today.

Samantha

— teacher