Category: Purpose

Will You Help Search for the Lost?

Posted on by Paula
Will you help search for the lost?
Will you help search for the lost?

Imagine a child outside, innocently hunting for butterflies. Her parents told her to stay inside the fence, but she can’t help but step outside her boundary as a beautiful swallowtail lands on a purple coneflower on the other side. As her net gets close, the butterfly flutters to a different flower, and she wanders a little farther away. She excitedly chases after the beautiful winged insect, and soon she finds herself deep into the woods. She’d been having so much fun that she hadn’t even realized how far she had strayed. When the butterfly disappears, she realizes she is lost.

Her parents become frantic when they can’t find her. Caring people help spread the word and join in the search, hoping to find her alive. They understand how dangerous this situation is. She is without food and water. Darkness will fall soon. She could fall into a hole or drown in a pond. She could encounter wild animals or strangers seeking their prey.

The search will continue until the child is found. Most of the people assisting do not know the family. They don’t care about the family’s race, social status or lifestyle. There is a child who is lost and in danger, and they recognize the urgency. They will mourn along with the family if she is found dead, but they will rejoice with them if she if found alive and reunited with her parents.

There will be no scolding or punishment when they find her because she will now understand why her parents set up the boundaries. She will have regret for her disobedience and will not wander outside those boundaries again.

What if we searched for the spiritually lost as earnestly as we search for the physically lost? Do we understand the danger that many lives are in?

God created us to be more than just a physical body that turns to dust when we die. He created us in His image with a soul that lives on after the physical body dies. Our soul is in great danger when we wander outside of his boundaries, chasing our own desires and choosing to follow our ways instead of his. If we wander too far, we risk being lost and separated from God, our Heavenly Father, forever.

Eternal separation from God in heaven means eternal torment in hell. This is not what God wants for anyone. 2 Peter 3:9 says, “…he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”

God sent his Son, Jesus, to die in our place. He took the punishment for all of our sin and all of our wandering outside of God’s boundaries. “For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

Sadly, some people do not even realize that they are lost or that there is more to life than their physical body. The Good Shepherd is seeking those who are lost and has commissioned his followers to do the same. So, I ask myself, and I ask those who understand this danger, “Do we understand the urgency in searching for the lost and bringing them to the Good Shepherd?”

A person’s race, social status and lifestyle does not matter in our search. God loves everyone and wants “everyone to come to repentance.”

Jesus tells a story to illustrate the importance of each individual’s well-being in Luke 15:4-7. “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.”

We must remember why Jesus came. “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10).

We must heed the words that Jesus shares with his disciples in Matthew 9:36-38. “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.’” We must pray and be willing to go.

As believers and followers of Christ, we must also take seriously our calling. “Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age’” (Matthew 28:18-20).

How will you respond to the urgency in seeking the lost? Are you willing to search for those who need to hear the message of the Gospel? Go share the good news before it is too late!

“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!” (Romans 10:13-15)

Many Parts, but One Body

Posted on by Paula
Noah is just one of many members, and his tenors are just one of many instruments.
Noah and His Tenors

My youngest son, Noah, is a percussionist and is playing the tenor drums in the high school marching band this year. He had a week of percussion camp in June and two weeks of band camp in July to prepare for this year’s show. Though he has played various types of drums over the years, this is his first year on the tenors. I couldn’t wait to watch him perform on parent preview night. I thought he did a wonderful job and was pretty impressed with his performance.

Although I love watching and listening to Noah, he plays just one part of the rhythm. There are also snare drums and bass drums. There are also instruments that play the melody. My niece plays the mellophone, and still others play the saxophone, clarinet, flute, trumpet, trombone, tuba and other instruments. While every instrument has a part to play, not every instrument plays constantly through each song. They simply play their part at the right time.

In addition to the marchers with instruments, there are also other band members as well. There are drum majors, the color guard and the band director. These members do not play instruments but each of them has an important role as well.

Each band member has talent, and each has a specific role. They all work together to play the music and to march to the choreography for the show the director has chosen. The musical composition cannot sound they way the composer intended if certain instruments are missing. The field formation cannot look the way the choreographer envisioned if there is not a marcher for every spot. If all of the drums or all of the trumpets decided not to perform, the music wouldn’t sound right, and the formation wouldn’t look right. Even just one missing person could make a difference.

The director chooses the drum majors, the marchers, the music and choreography. He arranges the members in the best formation for the show. He explains their roles, provides their uniforms, equips them with their gear and leads them to work together in unity for the common cause.

And so it is with the Church body. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 12:14-20: “For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, ‘Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,’ that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, ‘Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,’ that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.”

Each member of the body has an important role. God chooses us and arranges each member as He sees best. He clothes us in the full armor of God, equips us with gifts and talents and leads us to work together in unity for the common cause of Christ. We need each other to accomplish the work God gives us, and when each person listens to His commands and does what He says, His beautiful plan falls into place with ease.

A Vulnerable Position

Posted on by Paula

Today I find myself in a vulnerable position again as I announce my newest venture. As I mentioned in last Monday’s blog post, there are a few things that I really love to do. I love to create, to write, to doodle, to paint and to encourage. And though, I’m not the greatest at any of those things, I believe that God wired me to use those passions that burn deep inside my heart by letting them ooze out my fingertips and my mouth. Whatever I’m doing and however I’m spending my time, I’m always looking for ways that I can use those passions for the glory of God.

I am a creative thinker, and sometimes I visualize a design or picture when I am reading my Bible in the mornings. As I meditate on the words, I grab my markers or colored pencils and draw it out.

For at least two years now, I have been posting some of my “doodles” to social media. I don’t always have time to doodle things out during my quiet time before work, but spending time reflecting on God’s word and then doodling it out is a great way to clear my head and rest a while at His feet. So, I decided to treat myself to a little extra time with this activity on my “day off.” As a result, Friday morning, “Doodles with God” was born, and I started posting the creations nearly every week.

My reason to post my designs was to share God’s word with colorful doodles and encourage my Facebook friends.  A few of my friends said that I should make cards to sell. I loved the idea because I have always enjoyed making cards for family, but I didn’t know if my cards were good enough to sell. Then one of my sons suggested I should open an Etsy store and also see if any little shops around town would allow me to sell cards. Again, I was flattered and dreamed a little bit about making cards for more people, but I quickly tucked the dream away.

On January 20, out of the blue, my friend, Debby sent me a message asking if I would consider reproducing some of my doodles and framing them for her to sell in her boutique. I asked her if someone had put a bug in her ear. “No,” she replied, “only God if anyone. It hit me out of the blue as I was seeing one of your doodles run through the news feed again. And of course, I have learned to act when those thoughts run across my mind.”

Before I could even back out, Debby was requesting frames on Facebook and telling me to get ten ready for the grand opening of her 2nd boutique. I excitedly texted my son who once again reminded me that I needed to get an Etsy shop going.

On February 16, I delivered eight framed doodles to Debby’s Nzuri Boutique Ltd. in Greenville, and I made my first sale. I didn’t cash the check because I wasn’t sure if anyone would purchase any of the prints from my friend. When I offered to return the check if the if the pieces didn’t sell, she said she was fine and that she liked the word being seen in her store. That made me happy because finding ways to spread God’s word is one of my greatest desires.

Meanwhile, my son and husband continued to encourage me to open an Etsy shop. Finally, early in the morning on April 7, “Every Season Creations” went live with six of my favorite designs for sale. Today, I nervously make the public announcement and try to spread the word so that people will visit my shop.

So, here I go. I present each doodle as a humble offering created with love for Jesus and a desire to point others to Him. I hope to add more designs to my shop in the near future and even have some other great items I hope to find time to produce soon.

As I mentioned earlier, this is a scary and vulnerable moment for me as I wonder what people will think of my work. However, Debby’s words help me remember what I am trying to do. Just as she likes the word being seen in her shop, I want to get God’s word out there to be seen by as many people as possible. I would love for my designs to be used not only to encourage people to know that God is near and that he is faithful, trustworthy and loving, but also to inspire others to meditate on his word and find ways to spread it through the passions that he puts on their own hearts.

Seemingly Small Offerings

Posted on by Paula

Well, today is that day again. For over a year now, I have published a blog post every Monday. However, as I type away this evening, I have in front of me 6 half-written drafts and less than 5 hours of Monday left to accomplish the task.

I haven’t felt well for a few days now, and tonight I’m drained, weak and really tired. I can barely stay awake, and I really just want to curl up under my pink electric blanket and fall asleep in my striped flannel pajamas and floppy-ear bunny socks.

On top of the physical struggles, a battle is raging in my mind over the fact that I’ve been blogging for over a year and my audience seems to be dwindling lately rather than growing. That’s not exactly a confidence booster. In fact, it would be quite easy to throw in the towel and convince myself that no one would even notice if I never blogged again.

Please don’t misunderstand my intent. I’m not seeking anyone’s sympathetic words or praises in sharing these thoughts with you. Rather I hope to encourage you by sharing with you why I continue to peck away at my keyboard tonight when quite honestly, I have no promise this rambling will produce any fruit at all.

You see, there are a few things that I really love to do. I love to create, to write, to doodle, to paint and to encourage.  I believe that God wired me to use those passions that burn in my heart and ooze out my fingertips and my mouth. However, I am not the greatest at any of those things. That’s just the truth of the matter.

But…. here’s a really cool thing that I have realized. God doesn’t raise everyone up to be a Billy Graham, Mark Hall, Beth Moore or Lysa Terkheurst… Not everyone who writes a blog is going to draw a huge following. Not everyone who writes a book will end up on the best-seller list. Most people who doodle and paint will never have their work on display in a gallery or even sell a single print. And though there are many, many wonderful musicians, most of them will never be heard on the radio.

There are many amazingly gifted people who will never be famous for their wonderful talents and never be remembered after their life on earth is finished, but that doesn’t mean that their efforts are of no value. Whoever we are and whatever we do, we must take those gifts and passions that God created us with and put them to use for his glory. We simply present our sometimes seemingly small offerings to God, and we leave the rest up to him.

We may not reach millions, or thousands or even hundreds of people. But, if out of the sincerity of our hearts and our love for our incredible Lord and Savior, we do what we believe God put on our hearts to do, God just might work through us to show someone his love, his goodness, his peace or his hope. He might use the words we write, the encouragement we speak, the masterpiece we paint, the song we sing or the grace we extend to let someone know he is near and that he loves them.

We may not always know when God uses our offering to him to touch a life. There will most likely be times when we put forth our best to bring glory to God, but we do not see any fruit at all. However, we must remember that we do what we do, not for us, but for him. We are simply broken jars of clay yearning for his light to shine through so that others can see the Glorious Living God and be drawn not to us, but to him.

Celebrating Week 52

Posted on by Paula

I have enjoyed writing for as long as I can remember. Growing up before the internet, I wrote hundreds of letters to pen pals, cousins who moved from country to country and friends I met at church camp. I was that kid in school who eagerly anticipated the next writing assignment. I dreamed of writing books full of poetry, stories and helpful ideas; I just didn’t know how to make those dreams a reality. So, when I entered the adult world, I decided to focus on other passions like becoming a wife, mother, cosmetologist, Sunday school teacher and volunteer. I even ended up on staff at a church somehow.

Although I have found great satisfaction in life no matter which one of those hats I happened to be wearing, I have always found ways to incorporate writing. As an adult, I have written letters to friends who moved away. I have made sentimental cards for my children and family. I have written lessons for my Sunday school students and even created a family devotional book in a 3-ring binder for them. As a volunteer, God has given me words to stir the hearts of others. I have even found ways to write in all the different roles I’ve had since being on church staff. Whatever my main job is, I always find a way to include my passion to write!

Another avenue I have found to feed my crave for writing is social media. I created a Facebook account nine years ago for the sole purpose of viewing some pictures a friend wanted me to see. I slowly eased into adding my own pictures and silly little posts. Then after a while, I began posting longer thoughts that came to me. I had found another outlet for my passion, and my friends encouraged me to continue. Some of them even suggested that I should write a book or start a blog.

I am not a confident person, but I do love to write. So, last year, I spent hours of googling information, watching YouTube videos and praying. Then one year ago today, I started a new adventure. On March 12, 2017 I became the proud owner of my own domain name and signed a contract with a web hosting company in hopes of building my own website and starting a blog. I didn’t understand a lot of the terminology and had no idea what I was doing. To be quite honest, I still don’t understand much about it. Yet somehow, things are up and running.

My website still needs a lot of improvement but has been working well enough to get my words out there into the cyber world. Today, I celebrate my 52nd consecutive week of publishing blog posts. There were weeks that I had no idea what to write and weeks when I was too tired to think, but I have consistently posted on every Monday except for one week in November. I waited until Tuesday that week so that I could post on the day my husband and I were celebrating our 30th anniversary. In addition to the Monday posts, I was even able to post daily through Advent.

Today I publish my 75th blog post. Over the past 52 weeks, I have written 49,000 words that have received views from 16 different countries. While a total of 3,216 views and 1837 visitors really isn’t a huge amount, it is pleasing to this woman who was scared that no one would be interested in what she had to say. My stats are fairly small, but I am content to know that each and every week, someone out there has read the words that I have faithfully posted.

This brings me to why I write. Besides the fact that I really enjoy letting my thoughts flow through my fingertips, I write because I want to encourage others. I want others to know that there is light in the darkness, that there is always hope and that there is a God who has been with me through my whole journey. My greatest pleasures as a writer, are the moments when God chooses to use me as his vessel to write the words that someone else needs to hear. Isn’t that what he created us for?

Whatever we do, it’s not about us. It’s about the One who knit us together in our mothers’ wombs, giving us passions, gifts and talents to use for his glory. We find our purpose when we take what God has given us and allow him to work through us to show others how awesome he is, how much he loves them and how much they need him.

I published that first post, “A Season of Gray Hairs and Discipline,” back on March 20, 2017 with the attitude that even if no one read the words, I would have spent time writing with God and allowing him to transform me through our time together. I write each week for God and the hope of inspiring others to spend more time working on their relationship with him as well.

Thank you to those of you who take the time to read “Through Every Season” and those who have subscribed to receive my posts. Thank you to those who have encouraged me and challenged me and given me the nudges I needed. Thanks for the feedback and for sharing the posts that speak to you. I don’t like to bring attention to myself but always hope to find ways to bring attention the One who is worthy. It’s all for him.

Treasure in the Ordinary

Posted on by Paula

I attended a funeral a few days ago for a man who was described as a servant to the community. It was evident that he had made an impact on many people with his kindness and sacrificial love. This funeral was just like most funerals that I have attended, in that those who knew the person who had died, shared stories about the wonderful ways this person had touched their lives and how he had also made a difference in the lives of others.

Yet this service was different than most in that one of the sons who spoke made it clear that though his dad had been a loving and giving person, he was in fact, just an ordinary man with flaws. This man who had died suddenly and unexpectedly was simply a fragile jar of clay, but because he had been deeply affected by the gospel, he carried the light of Jesus. In fact, his life had been so powerfully influenced by the gospel that he wanted others to carry that same treasure. This affected the way he spoke, responded and lived.

As Christians, many of us have a desire “to do something grand for God.” We often find ourselves searching for ways to be used by him to make an impact for eternity. The message that was given at this funeral was a good reminder that we are simply ordinary vessels of clay that the Potter has created for his purpose.

We love when Paul writes in Ephesians 2:10 (NLT) that we are God’s masterpiece, but we must also pay attention to the end of that verse which says, “He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” As we try to grasp the whole idea of that scripture, we might get hung up wondering, “What are the good things he planned for me long ago?” or “Does God have a one big plan for my life?”

It’s easy to start asking specific questions such as, what career God created us for, where he wants us to live, which ministry he wants us involved in, who he want us to marry or if he wants us to marry at all…. It’s always good when we seek God’s counsel in our decisions, but when searching for our purpose, it is helpful to realize that our main purpose is to simply carry the light of the gospel of Jesus and to allow the supernatural work of God to be displayed in us and through us so that others can see God’s power and glory. We can carry out that purpose no matter which career we choose, no matter where we decide to live, no matter which ministry we get involved with, no matter what we decide about marriage…. We are to carry Jesus’ light and bring glory to God wherever we are and in whatever we do.

We don’t have to wait for a huge revelation of some complicated task that God wants to accomplish through us. It is through our ordinary, everyday lives that we proclaim the power of God. People are watching us as we respond to the pressures and difficulties that everyone else faces. Who or what do we turn to when problems and tragedies arise? Are we shaken and beaten down or do we have faith that the one who lives in us will see us through? How do we respond to the person who challenges our patience or the one who continually picks at or belittles us? Do we fight back or do we rely on the power of Jesus to strengthen us and to help us love that person with the same unconditional love that Jesus extended to his own enemies? Are we selfish people seeking our thrill, comfort and pleasure or are we willing to sacrifice our time and resources to help those in need around us? Are we striving to build a name for ourselves or are we living to make God’s name known and to help others see how awesome he is?

We are ordinary, fragile jars of clay, molded by the Potter. We are his masterpieces created anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. As our fragile shells get battered and worn by life around us, the treasure we carry inside shines stronger and brighter. As we allow the power of the gospel of Jesus to strengthen, equip and enable us and we allow the truth and unconditional love of Christ to reign in us and through us, the world can see God’s power and glory. Our greatest purpose is to carry the light of Jesus and to share that light with others. Are you allowing that treasure to shine through you so that the glory of God can be seen and the gospel proclaimed? Are you allowing the gospel to transform you? Have you truly laid down your life for the One who laid down his life for you? Are you living to bring glory to the One who is worthy or are you still living for yourself?

For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. ~1 Corinthians 4:5-7

Advent 21–Broken Candy Canes and Broken Lives

Posted on by Paula

My son who is a music teacher was getting ready to take the chorus caroling to all of the class rooms at his school. He gave me a ziplock bag for each class room and asked me to put 25 candy canes in each bag so that the chorus could give every child and teacher a special treat. As I counted them out, I pushed all of the broken ones off to the side.

At the end of the day, I wondered what to do with the broken candy canes. I popped one into my mouth, and it still tasted great despite being broken. I remembered one of the students telling me that they were going to make fudge and sprinkle crushed candy canes on top that evening. The broken candy canes would be perfect for that.  Not only would they taste good, but the peppermint would look pretty too.

The broken candy canes made me think about all the “broken” people I have met. I know people who have been hurt or abused to the point that they have very low self-esteem and can’t see themselves as the beautiful person they are. I can think of people who are so overwhelmed by sorrow, grief, anxiety and depression that they can’t function properly. I have met people who can’t see their wonderful qualities because they are consumed with beating themselves up over the things they aren’t good at. I have listened to people who have bought into a lie that because they are broken, they have no worth or purpose.

My prayer for these broken people is that they would turn to Jesus and find their strength, healing, identity, confidence and purpose in him. I want them to remember that God knit them together in their mothers’ wombs and that they are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139). I want them to know that the Lord who said to Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9), can use their weaknesses to display God’s power as well.  I pray that they would learn that they have a God “who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God” (1 Corinthians 1:4). I pray that in their brokenness, they will turn to the One whose body was broken and whose blood was shed and that they will lay down their lives and find comfort, healing, peace and purpose in him.

Remember All He Has Done!

Posted on by Paula

I was asking “Why?” one day. God has answered so many of my prayers lately, but he has also remained silent or even said, “No”concerning some things I’ve been praying about for a long time. I believe that my motives in what I’m asking are pure and that what I’m asking would advance the kingdom, but for some reason, God has yet to come in and save the day.

Satan can really start to mess with a person’s mind in times like this, “You’ve been praying about this for over 20 years. If God loves you so much, why won’t he help you out? God is totally able to do what you are asking. Why won’t he fix the situation?”

A thought about this came to me recently, “Stop fretting about what God isn’t doing, and remember all he has done!” My heart was convicted, and my mind started thinking of all the wonderful things that God has done for me.

I remembered the pile of shells sitting at my table on the porch. Back in June I wrote a post called, “What Do These Shells Mean?” At that time, I was remembering some of the encounters that I had with God and writing them down on seashells I had found at the ocean. I had planned on making a wind chime with those shells, but I didn’t have time to complete the project.

This Sunday, I decided that it was time to do something with those shells. Sorting through them was good. They reminded me of so many wonderful things that God had done. I even had a few things to add because over the past few months, God has continued to bless me and to allow me to experience how good he is.

There are many great spiritual markers written on those shells. Each one of those encounters with God strengthened my faith and deepened my relationship with him. Likewise, each experience with God has made an impact on my life that has helped transform me to be more like Jesus.

I’m sure that I will add even more shells to this wind chime as God continues to pour into my life. There is already one shell on there, though, that will always be the most important shell. It hangs in the center just below the shell that celebrates the day I was born. It reads, “Born Again, July 24, 1977.”

That shell represents the day that I received new life. When my body was immersed under the water, I died to myself; my sin was washed away. When my body came up out of the water, I was raised back to life in Jesus. When I think about the day that I was baptized into Christ, it puts everything back into perspective. Giving my life to Jesus and learning to follow him has been the most rewarding decision that I’ve ever made. After my baptism, the Holy Spirit came to live in me and to empower me to do God’s will. Through Jesus, I will experience eternal life with him in heaven. All the other shells on that wind chime and all of the encounters those shells represent are just icing on the cake. That one encounter helps me to stop fretting over what God isn’t doing and remember all he has done.

Offering What He Gives

Posted on by Paula

My tired eyes stared at the blinking cursor on my Word document. I always look forward to Sunday evenings; that is when I sit in my little sanctuary on the sunporch and write a new post for my blog. This, however, was one of those nights when the words just didn’t come. I thought about my comfy bed and longed for my pillow.

The last couple of pieces I wrote hadn’t received very many views anyway. I started to wonder if I should just throw in the towel this week. As tired as I was, I couldn’t give in to sleep. I had a commitment to God; I had posted the last 29 Mondays, and I was not going to let this writer’s block have its way with me.

I have always loved to write, and people have encouraged me to do so. Because of my passion for writing combined with that encouragement from others, I began talking with God about starting a blog this year. I wasn’t sure if anyone would read what I have to say or if I could even find things to write about each week. However, I decided that I would trust God in this matter, and that even if nobody read my blog, it would be okay. I would grow closer to God by spending time writing with him each week.

So, every week, I pray for God to give me the words, and then I give the blog to God to use however he chooses. This is my offering. My burning desire is that he uses it to make himself known to those who don’t yet know him and to deepen his relationship with those who do.

Sometimes, my posts receive only a handful of views with no comments or feedback. Other times, God has blessed me by letting me see the fruit of my labor. There have been times that readers have thanked me for sharing words that they needed to hear (God’s words). Strangers have “accidentally” stumbled upon posts that they can relate to and have found God’s comfort, healing and peace.

We all have something to offer our Creator who designed each of us unique and special. Just as He has put a passion on my heart to write, God has surely put a passion for something on your heart as well. Offer your passions, talents and gifts to God and ask him to use them for his glory.

Offering our lives to God and allowing him to work in us and through us strengthens our faith and helps others see that he is the one true God. In him we find great purpose and true satisfaction.

Dear Teacher

Posted on by Paula

 

Dear Teacher,

You love what you do, but you needed to catch your breath, relax your body, rejuvenate your mind and refresh your soul. Summer may have flown by a little bit too quickly for you, but the call to teach is already tugging on your heart. You remember the faces and are anxious to see how they are doing. You have been worried about some of them because you know their life is difficult.

You are a hard worker. You have spent hours decorating your classroom in ways that will inspire your students’ minds. You’ve been working on creative lesson plans remembering that some children learn in different ways than others. You’ve prepared extra activities realizing that some of your students need challenged so they don’t become bored while others need extra help just to make it through. Your desks will soon be filled with so many unique individuals with so many different needs. You will be helping your pupils to discover that learning can be fun and that each person has different strengths and passions that will help them succeed.

You find great joy in the students who are eager to learn and eager to please you, but you also encounter students who will be too tired to focus, disinterested in what you are teaching or desperate for the attention of anyone who they can distract. Some students are a joy, and others will exhaust you before the end of the day. Yet regardless of what attitude each one brings into your classroom at the beginning of the year, you are determined to break through and inspire that student to have become a better person when your time with them is done.

Not only do you care about each student’s education, you also care about their whole well-being. You see the hurt in their eyes and know who needs a hug. You understand when students don’t have the supplies they need because their single mom is unable to shop after working all day and then trying to cook dinner, wash laundry and help with homework. You have asked if your friends and family have khakis that a student needs to wear for their chorus concert or their homecoming dance. You’ve quietly slipped deodorant or food items into a backpack when no one was looking. You’ve looked, you’ve listened, you’ve cared.

There have been days when your heart is overwhelmed in knowing the struggles that some of your students have. There have also been days of frustration when you’ve felt no one is listening, and you question if you can ever get through to them. You have faced parents who disagree with your teaching methods, your classroom rules or the grade their child was given on their exam. You have had people outside the classroom telling you how you need to do things when you are the one who works with the students on a daily basis and actually know what is best. I’m sorry to say that you will most likely have those days again this year.

You will work all day, go home to take care of your own family and then work into the night to prepare for the next day. You will purchase materials that aren’t covered in the classroom budget. Your mind will race some nights when you go to bed because you can’t stop thinking about the girl who keeps getting bullied or the boy who wears long sleeved shirts when it’s warm to hide the cuts on his arms. You will lie awake wondering how you can help a student who isn’t grasping an important concept. You will be physically, mentally and emotionally exhausted at times, but do not let yourself get discouraged. What you are doing is making a difference.

You will never know how far the influence you have on your students will go. Who knows what a student might figure out to improve technology when they finally understand an idea you’ve been teaching. You are inspiring future financial wizards, doctors, nurses, surgeons, policemen, firefighters, pilots, designers, scientists, engineers, musicians, artists, athletes, lawyers, writers…. You are even inspiring further teachers.

You are not only teaching them knowledge, you are teaching them to be responsible citizens. You are building them up and teaching them to build others up as well. You are pouring all that you have into the lives that will impact our future.

Let me assure you that your kindness will not be forgotten. I graduated high school more than 30 years ago, but I can remember every one of my teachers and something special about each one. I can remember tricks to spelling certain words, math shortcuts, different styles and paint mediums and songs as far back as kindergarten. I can remember Mr. Donaldson making history come alive for me after years of hating the class. I will never forget the kindness of Mr. Picket who comforted me when my grandpa died or the thoughtfulness of my math teacher, Mrs. Raney who recognized that I had asthma and told me to go to the doctor. I remember the smiles, I remember the hugs and I remember the encouragement. Your students will as well.

I am praying for you as school starts and asking God to give you wisdom, patience and peace and that the love and grace of Jesus would flow through you and be recognized by your students, their families, your colleagues and your bosses. I pray that on the days that you are overwhelmed, you would be encouraged in knowing that you are making a huge impact. You can never tell how far your influence will go, but be assured in knowing that you are making a difference each and every day.

So smile, hug, laugh, encourage, observe, teach and take great pride in knowing that you have one of the most important jobs there are.

Have a wonderful school year! May God bless you as you are a blessing to many!