Wednesday, October 22, 2014

A Teacher's Prayer

Anyone that knows me (or has read my blog for a while) knows I'm basically an open book. I consider myself to truly be an external processor. I tell it like it is. You know how I'm feeling approx. 95% of the time. 

Now that I'm back in America and working at a public school here, I know I have to not be as open about certain details of my life - my students, my scho, my work, etc. But I can say this...

I know God led me to my school. I prayed before my very first interview that God would only open one door - the door to the job He wanted me to have. And He did that :)

The hardest part of my job has definitely been not being able to openly share my faith. Since this is a public school in the States I, as a teacher, cannot initiate a prayer in class, lead a discussion on God, or share the Word with my students. Coming from teaching for 5 years in a Christian school, this has been hard. I follow the rules, but man is it hard...

But a friend said it best when she reminded me yesterday that my school is my mission field. I may can't publicly proclaim my faith, but I can live it out. 

I can let my students see something in me. I can let them see the way I handle unnerving, worrisome situations. I can let them see the way I act when someone misbehaves. I can let them see, some of them for possibly the first time, what it's like to have an adult show them positive attention/love/genuine care. I can be a positive role model. I can be there - to listen, to empathize and sympathize, to encourage, to love and care, to be a shoulder to cry on, to just be there.

I can show them the love of Jesus through my actions and my speech. I can lead by example. I can pour into them encouragement, knowledge, positivity, and love. And I can do all of that workout breaking any rules :)

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