I’ve wanted to post this story for a long time. I’m torn because I very much avoid anything dealing with pornography. Yet this story (found through a news feed on Google) has such a connection to redemption, and how this woman’s employer could not see clear to offer it, that I felt compelled to mention it.

A high school teacher in a St. Louis school was found to have a past life by one of her students. Her past mistakes have already cost her a teaching job in another school district.

In the following article, the writer cites a St. Louis paper quoting Mrs. Myers, who says that she has tried to turn her life around, and that she has found God. http://blogs.ajc.com/get-schooled-blog/2011/03/09/teacher-cant-outrun-porn-star-past-but-should-it-trample-her-career/?cxntfid=blogs_get_schooled_blog. The unfortunate thing is that others cannot forget. They speak of understanding bad decisions and of her trying to change. But then St. Louis school-district representative Paul Tandy makes a statement like this:
[School district representative Tandy] said the district hopes to use the incident as a teaching lesson. “We’re trying to remind them of real-world consequences, that the decisions you make will be around in the electronic world forever,” [Tandy] said. Source – http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/hot_for_teacher_3gnCz82R8D9lvWFtPPpPEI

One author (cited below) referenced an online comment attached to the story. The post went like this: “I think she should have her second chance. She has proven you can screw up royally early in life and turn it around into a positive. I’m wondering what some of the other teachers may have been involved with at college or before their teaching careers that, if known, might ‘distract’ students they teach! We’ve all done stuff we regret. It’s how to overcome it that counts.”
Read more: http://www.stltoday.com/business/columns/job-watch/article_844d1e34-52f9-51f1-9034-577343e3011e.html

Is it true that our mistakes and questionable decisions, when posted on the internet, leave us vulnerable for the rest of our lives? This penalty seems more severe than that a convict spending several years in prison. At least the convict gets to go free, although others often cannot forget what they have done; and they must report it on every application which asks “Have you ever been convicted of a crime?”

For some reason, talk of forgiveness and redemption in this world more closely represents overcoming a past night of poor play or returning to victory in the playoffs. Yet God’s mercy is from everlasting to everlasting (Psalm 103:17); and He not only forgives, but forgets and removes sin completely! Micah 7:19 says: “He (God) will again have compassion on us, and will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.” There are other verses that indicate how merciful God is and willing to forgive our sins if we will repent of them, forsake them, and turn to Christ to save us. Other examples include: “Come now, and let us reason together, says the LORD, though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool” (Isaiah 1:18). And this one: “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:12). Please keep our sister in the faith Tera Myers and her children in your prayers.