A Little Pencil

March 28, 2025

Many years ago I had the opportunity to attend a mass at the old Winnipeg Stadium which marked visit from Mother Teresa. Frankly, I was awestruck by this humble, yet famous woman, who truly embodied the meaning of Christian service. This event inspired me to read more about her and I was amazed by her humility in the face of the tremendous work she was doing with the poorest of the poor in the slums of India.   She spoke about her perspective many times using a variety of  different analogies, but the one that resonated with me the most came from a 1989 article in Time Magazine. When asked if she thought she had any special qualities that allowed her to do her work, she responded, “ I don’t think so. I don’t claim anything of the work. It is his work. I am like a little pencil in his hand. That is all. He does the thinking. He does the writing. The pencil has nothing to do with it. The pencil has only to  allow itself to be used. In human terms, the success of our work should not have happened, no? “

Maybe because I have spent my life in schools, the idea of being “like a pencil” resonates with me.  A pencil, by nature, is humble, shaped and guided by a hand that directs its movements. Just like the pencil, we are called to trust in God’s guidance, to allow Him to lead us in ways that serve others and fulfill His purpose for our lives. We may not always understand the process, but just as a pencil can be used to create something beautiful, God uses us to bring good into the world.

We are reminded that we are not the authors of our story, but by allowing ourselves to be open to God’s vision for our lives we can become instruments of hope, healing, and transformation. Each of us has a unique role to play, and when we allow ourselves to be in God’s hands, our story becomes part of the gospel , the Good News of God’s love for all of us. It’s a bit of a relief, actually. We don’t have to do everything, we just need to be like a pencil.

As we continue though this Lenten season, let us strive to remain open, humble, and willing to be used for His greater purpose, trusting that, through us, God can write a story more beautiful than we could ever imagine.

Peace,

Christine McInnis

Principal

You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone. You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. 

– 2 Corinthians 3:3