“Be joyful always. Pray continually. Give thanks in all
circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ.” (1 Thes. 5:16-18)
In
reflecting on this past week, I am truly overwhelmed by the kindness and
compassion of God. He gives me the
opportunity to be joyful always. He
equips me with the gift of prayer so I can be in constant communication with
him. And he provides me with endless
opportunities to turn to him with a thankful heart, despite the
circumstance. Choosing to act in joy,
prayer, and thankfulness give life a greater sense of purpose and hope. Praise the Lord!
Sickness
was a battle at the beginning of this week. I woke up early Monday morning not
feeling well, but pushed to get to school anyway. Then came Tuesday. Students in the school had been throwing up
at school, others were just not feeling well.
As a student teacher and a first year teacher, sickness is something
that is going to happen. All of the
germs floating around school will eventually prove too much for the body to
handle. While being sick can zap your
energy to the extreme, it is truly powerful how much energy the students infuse
back into you when the situation calls for it.
Despite the sick feeling at the end of Tuesday, I was able to have a
decent morning, going back and forth with the students and having many positive
interactions and learning experiences with them. Sickness is a drag, a pain, and an energy
killer. Again, praise the Lord that he
is the giver of strength and healing!
In
light of the holiday season, I have also been challenged lately with how to
incorporate my Christian beliefs into my public school teaching without
crossing the lines. How can I share the
love of Christ with my students? How
does my relationship with him impact my teaching and my passion for
students? First, I know that the way I
live my life and the way I carry myself in front of my students is a constant
witness. From day one I have done my
best to start and end each day with prayer, and conduct myself in such a way that
I can be a successful tool God can use in the life of each of my students. This
being said, I sometimes feel that this is inadequate; that my mind too often
slips from focusing on God and jumps to my own selfish thoughts and the tasks
at hand in the classroom. This is bound
to happen whether in a public or Christian school, but I feel it more quickly
happening in this placement than in South Africa. How can I keep putting my full trust and dependence
on God in life and in teaching even when I am back in the comfortable and privileged
areas of the United States? At this
point, my answer comes in prayer. I feel
so thankful for the gift of prayer, the ability to be in constant communication
with my Savior. While in South Africa, I
reached a defined moment where I knew that on my own I am incapable of
accomplishing anything worthwhile. When I
can humble myself at the feet of Jesus, I know that I am worthwhile. God will fill me with what I need and can use
me in ways I may never completely understand.
Humility, prayer, and an extra dose of forgiveness for all of my
blunders and mistakes make for an exciting journey!
Specifically
thinking of my students, I believe that prayer is also my biggest way of
helping them as well. Each day I
interact with my students. Together, we
grow, learn, and build positive relationships.
My time with them is so important, and my attitude and actions paint a
picture of who I truly am. Yes, our
interactions are priceless and their trust in me is vital for their learning,
but I still think that my time of prayer for my students is the time when I am
able to help them the most. This is the
time when I can bring them before the Lord and talk to their creator. He is the only one who can truly care for
their hearts and minds. The power of prayer brings me to the realization that I
am better so blessed when God is in control, and that my time and energy are
not for naught. God loves these students
so much more than I ever could!
Education
is more than going to school and teaching content. I am blessed to have had classes, professors,
students, and mentors that have helped me grow and change into the teacher I am
becoming. This week I am thankful for
the experiences and people I have had in my life thus far that have helped me
realize the importance of keeping a Christ-centered outlook on teaching. Happy Thanksgiving!
Happy Thanksgiving to you Kelly - and let me say that the blessings of eager students (such as yourself) are a mutual encouragement to the teacher as well - it is a two-way street. I find myself wondering if Jesus kept hanging in there with His disciples knowing that eventually they would "get it" and their "Acts" would inspire the Christian church for centuries to come. I guess I suppose He knew - after all He's God - but also being human I wonder how many times he just had to smile, shake his head, and go to his Father in prayer. I know it can be hard to work in the public sector and bridle one's enthusiasm for the greatest gift you'd want anyone to have. I remember one student teacher working in a public high school just crying in frustration as she thought about trying to teach science without giving the Creator credit. But another student teacher just told a tale of inviting a substitute teacher to her church - and he actually came! I truly believe we need strong Christians in both public and private schools. When I applied to teach at Timothy Christian School and the president of the board actually asked about my once attending public school, I can remember saying how much I loved Christian education but that I also thought it would be good for every Christian student to spend at least one year in a public school to learn about having one's faith challenged and perhaps discovering what means the most in one's worldview. I look forward to the time when I learn about you taking a job and then hearing about how God has used you there. Have a wonderful, healthy week.
ReplyDeleteKelly,
ReplyDeleteI really appreciated the fact that you did more reflection in this post.
What a week. I hope you are feeling better. I'm grateful you came to class last week in spite of being under the weather. I hope you felt as though you took away something from that class session.
I am thankful for students like you. Sometimes students do not want to take risks. Sometimes they don't trust where God is leading and I'm glad you do that. I can see how you have been diligent in clinging to your faith in good times and bad.
Thanks for sharing your journey thus far!
Dr. Meyer