The beginning of the school year is a crazy time for most teachers. There is a long to do list of things to get ready and materials to prepare. It is easy to get caught up in the business of it all and loose sight of that balance you were hoping to achieve this school year. A balance between school and life outside of school is hard for me to achieve because of the endless to do list and the desire to continually be a better teacher. It is so easy to get caught up in it all and lose track of the One who brought me here. It is easy to fall into the trap of trying to do in all by myself when I can’t and it’s also not healthy to try to do it all. I need to continually look to my All Knowing, peace giving Heavenly Father for guidance in each step.
I am not a perfect teacher and sometimes I get tangled up in all of my weaknesses, all the parts of teaching I am not good at, I lose myself in feeling inadequate. I forget to look to God to see where He is leading me as a teacher. He knows I will never be perfect and He created me with a unique set of gifts and abilities and He is equipping me as I go. I don’t need to be perfect I need to be willing to embrace every situation and grow and learn as I go while continually looking to my Father for guidance, peace, love and joy.
I was reminded of all of this last night while I was sitting on couch. I was sitting there sweating because that is a regular occurrence in Nicaragua and I was missing the cooler weather that is starting to make an appearance in Michigan. I was missing being able to snuggle under a blanket with a cup of tea or a latte without sweating. I decided I would try to get as close to that as I could. So I moved my fan right in front of the couch, made myself a chai latte, and curled up under a blanket. Was it exactly what I had been dreaming of? No but it was what I needed. God met me in that moment and reminded me through his word that I am not alone. In that moment my busy tired soul was renewed with the Peace of our Father and a reminder that He loves me more than I will ever be able to comprehend. I just need to continually draw close to Him.
Matthew 6:20-21
“Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven where moth and rust do not destroy where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is there your heart will be also.”
Prayer requests:
~Pray for my class, I have 28 students this year. They are great kids who are already blessing me, but it is a large group with a lot of special learning needs.
~Pray for my assistant and the special education assistants who help students in my class. I am never the only adult in my class which I am thankful for! Please join me in praying for the awesome teachers who I get to teach with every day! I could not do this without them!
~Pray for me as I teach these 28 precious children! I love teaching but it is exhausting. Pray that the Lord would fill me with the joy, patience, and love that I need for each day!
~Pray for me in my life outside of school. That I will be able to balance being a teacher and my life outside of school. It is easy to spend too much time on school stuff and become burnt out.
~Pray for my community here. We have had a lot of people move back to the states and it is really hard when those people have become your close friends who feel like family. Pray that God would show me who He is calling me to welcome into our community! I want to reach out to those who are new to our community just like so many reached out to me when I first moved here.
~Pray for my car. It is currently in the shop after not starting on Thursday. If you were at church this summer when the Benthem’s and I spoke you remember that my car has been one of my biggest frustrations. Pray that the repairs would be quick and inexpensive and that God would continue to work through these frustrations to bring me closer to Him.