Happy Friday!!!

Colossians 3: 8 and 10 say, “But now put these things out of your life: anger, bad temper, doing or saying things to hurt others and using evil words when you talk. You have begun to live the new life, in which you are being made new and are becoming like the One who made you. This new life brings you the true knowledge of God.”

I think I have shared about the class I am teaching this school year. This has been the most difficult class I have been presented with in many, many years. Six of these children have biblical names. In my classroom this year I have: Ezra, Genesis, Nahum, Ismael, Elijah and Leah. I thought at the beginning of the year that with all of these prophetic names that I was going to have a fairly well behaved class that would not take long to whip into shape and move them along quite nicely through the year. O-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h no-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-! We have spent 107 school days together and they still do not have their collective act together.

Consequently I pray for and about this class daily as well as praying for myself as their teacher. I have tried countless strategies, tactics, rewards, consequences, parent conferences and other opinions. As a result of their actions they have bad press throughout the building. Frustration has reached a boiling point and today we had the “come to Jesus” meeting.

I spent quite a bit of time in prayer this morning about this class and then it occurred to me that here I am, studying for the ministry, and the group I am working with is just like the world that God deals with every moment of every day. These children are stubborn, willful, back talking, untruthful at times and do the exact opposite of what I have asked them to do. The consequence of their actions is that they are not progressing as they should by their own volition. Their greatest hindrance is that they do not listen.

Then it really hit me. How much am I like the first graders I teach? I would love to tell you that I am not at times stubborn, willful, (I am not much of a back talker) but there are times I am not as honest with myself as I should be. And how does God deal with me? God is patient, kind, forgiving, merciful and never gives up on me.

Today after I had really reamed these children out I read this scripture and thought how true this scripture was for me today. I need to remember these are children who need to be loved and cared for as well as taught. I am God’s child and I need those same things. I deal with 19 six and seven year olds and God deals with billions and keeps us all straight in His mind and heart. I think God had His own”come to Jesus” meeting with me in the scripture lesson today. I need to remember as a child of God I need to be more patient and less frustrated because God deals patiently with me and never gives up. He is relentless in His efforts to work his will in my life and to help me to grow in His likeness.

I have approximately three more months to effect change in the lives of these children. I, too, must be relentless in my efforts to prepare these 19 children for second grade. My prayer for myself is that God will place in me a spirit of creative endurance. I am praying for God to transform me into the teacher these children need. I will claim these verses, take a deep breath and ask God to work His will. Thank you for letting me vent a bit tonight.

Take joy in the journey. Love you all, Bruce, Gaylene, Geni and Travis.

Gcapplenotes@aol.com

I am not moved by what I see. I am not moved by what I feel. I am moved only by what I believe and I believe God.

PS Applications for Happening #39 (March 13-15)at Advent Lutheran Church (for 15-18 year olds)are available on the ntls(http://www.ntls.org/happening.htm)website or from any Happening Team member. This is an ecumenical spiritual renewal weekend.