02/23/12

 

I will be the first to say that today's post may get a little lengthy... but I just had to share what the Lord showed me today.

Today was a half day at school.

I will admit that I was not excited about going to school today.

I am tired.

I am worn out.

I am BURNT out.

I am just plain weary.

Those were my thoughts as I began my morning trying to wake up in the shower.

At breakfast I have begun reading to the kids out of my Jesus Calling devotional.  I still find that it impacts me more than them some days because I feel like it is exactly what I need.  I realize they get something from it, too, but today's kind of "slapped me in the face" as Mikayla would say.

Here is the devotional:

"Be on guard against the pit of self-pity.  When you are weary or unwell, this demonic trap is the greatest danger you face.  Don't even go near the edge of the pit.  Its edges crumble easily, and before you know it, you are on the way down.  It is ever so much harder to get out of the pit than to keep a safe distance from it.  That is why I tell you to be on guard.

There are several ways to protect yourself from self-pity.  When you are occupied with praising and thanking Me, it is impossible to feel sorry for yourself.  Also, the closer you live to Me, the more distance there is between you and the pit.  Live in the Light of My Presence by fixing your eyes up on Me.  Then you will be able to run with endurance the race that is set before you, without stumbling or falling."

Can you see why that just "slapped me in the face?"  

I chewed on that all morning.  I continued to ask the Lord to help me through this day as I began it.  I look back and can see how Satan wanted to foil so many attempts of my joy from the Lord today.  He didn't have victory.

My morning started out running late and me getting on Wesley and Mikayla for playing around instead of doing what was expected of them in the morning.  It was a quiet ride to school.  It was frustrating.

I had to open the back gate to school.  I have done that for years, but in the past couple of years the men who arrive early to school try to get there before me and open it.  Today.... I was the one with that responsibility... and it just added to my already frustrated mind.

I got into school and kept looking at all I needed to accomplish today.  

I went to devotions at our teacher's meeting and was reminded that I am just looking at the small puzzle piece of my life and God sees the whole picture.  I just didn't realize at that moment that God was seeing the whole picture of my day right then when I was only seeing the rough edges of those puzzle pieces.

I began to take my eyes off of me and began asking others how they were doing.  I talked with a fellow teacher who has been having a hard time with bone spurs in her foot.

That was the beginning of me taking my eyes off of ME and putting them on someone else.

Half days usually about drive me crazy because I still have so much to teach in half the time.  This morning, I decided to just do work with my students and have them check it as we go.  Those are rare days when that happens.  I also decided to do that because I thought I would fit some History in to our day that normally I would not have a chance to do on a half day.  My kids were really bummed yesterday when we didn't do History so I thought they would enjoy that little "surprise."  Again, this was something I decided to do this morning.  Little did I realize how much God was putting my puzzle together for today.

Fast forward through daily work, checking it, stapling it, doing our country for today and getting ready for History.

I am still teaching Colonial days, but will be moving into Revolutionary times soon.  I needed to catch up because my Science unit took up more time than I had originally planned.

Today I began to teach the kids about Colonial laws and the laws they had about Sunday.  I had no clue that what would begin to proceed from my mouth next would be part of God's puzzle for today.

I began to share how it was a law in Colonial times that people had to go to church.  They didn't always go for the relationship with the Lord, they went because it was LAW.  Men also went because they could vote only if they went to church and owned land.

I began to expound on this a bit more with my students...  It caused me to remember what a wise, dear man at church just shared with me about a lesson I taught last week in our Kids 4 Truth:  "Your lesson was awesome, but I noticed you didn't share the Gospel at the end."  You know why I didn't.... because I feel like I "preach" that all of the time.  I had the wrong thought that they hear it all of the time, too.  You don't know how many times I have thought of that since last week.

Today, the Holy Spirit just kept giving me the words to say to help the children understand that works do not save you.  Only by the shedding of Jesus' blood and our acceptance of His gift of salvation would we be able to have eternal life with Him.  My "talk" with them went on for a while and then I closed it off by telling my students to really think about whether they have asked Jesus in their heart or not.  I told them that if they hadn't and wanted to know how then they could talk with me and I would be more than happy to show them how they can know Christ.  I then moved into the next part of my Colonial teaching.

Shortly thereafter, I looked up to find one of my students crying.... sobbing is actually more like it.  She was one that has had anxiety in certain areas this year so I wasn't sure if it was that or if she was bothered by what I had just taught.  The parent volunteer, who is also a dear friend, was able to take her out to calm her down while I finished teaching the kids.  After I allowed her enough time to calm down, I went out to talk with her.  She said she wasn't sure if she had Jesus in her heart and she was scared of dying without Him.

I told her we could definitely go talk.  I took my Bible and a little tract with me to share with her.  I wanted to make sure she understood first that it is her sin that separates her from God.  We talked for a long time and I began to see a "lightbulb" come on in her eyes.  As I showed her Scriptures and spoke to her about what Christ had done, she made it very plain for me to see she was ready to ask Jesus into her heart.  When I asked her if she was she said "YES!"  with no hesitation.

She prayed a simple but broken prayer letting the Lord know she was sorry for her sins and wanted Him to come into her heart and save her.

It was a joy to be there at that moment.... and it gave me chills.  (Still does, actually!)

All of the things of my day fell into place.  Because of what the Lord taught me this morning to not dwell in the pit of weariness, but run with endurance the race He set before me today, He showed me a much nicer picture from the puzzle He created for my day.

It gave me a new perspective into the fact that THIS is why I am where I am.

The Lord knew today was her day to get saved.

He knew I was going to be there to lead her.

He knew I needed to get my mind straight and focused on Him and off of myself.

I did nothing today.

I give all of the praise to the Lord.  It was HE Who made all of the "puzzle pieces" come together to make a beautiful picture of a child now being in eternity with Him.

For that picture I will forever be grateful.