Well, I should be writing an autobiography at the moment but...oh well.
First off, I don't think I've ever said Thank God it's Friday with such happiness. Seriously. I am ecstatic. Whilst the week DID get better, it's still left me exhausted with a crap ton of work to do.
However, my weekend got off to a start tonight with my Schooling in America class retreat. A group of 30-40ish education students and professors in a room together talking and putting together puzzles? Yep. Sounds like a fun way to start the weekend to me too. Can I just take this time to say I LOVE education majors/teachers? They're a pretty entertaining group (especially Dr. Stewart. I adore that lady).
At the end of the night, Dr. High (my advisor/the sweetest professor EVER) did a devotional that stuck with me. He was talking about how sometimes (a lot of the time) we as teachers are the silver lining in some students lives. And I know from personal experience that this is EXTREMELY true. One of the reasons, in fact, I want to be a teacher is this very idea. He read this prayer/blessing for students that sprung tears in my eyes, praying for those that had enough/lived normal lives, to those that come from the lowest and have only us to help them in this world.
What stuck with me though was the scripture he gave us to think about.
Proverbs 30:7-9
7 "I ask two things from you, Lord.
Don't refuse me before I die.
8 Keep me from lying and being dishonest.
And don't make me either rich or poor;
just give me enough food for each day.
9 If I have too much, I might reject you
and say, 'I don't know the Lord.'
If I am poor, I might steal
and disgrace the name of my God.
I never think about asking God for just "enough". I often ask for more, or for less: more finances, more time, more people; less stress and worry, less things on my to-do list, and so on. I never say to just give me ENOUGH. I've always thought in ways that more is greater for some things, and less is better for others. I've never measured things by "enough". The perfectionist in me just doesn't know how to function on "enough"! I keep going back to the Lord's prayer, saying "give us this day our daily bread." Don't worry about tomorrow just yet. Just give me enough to handle today. It's a concept I've never thought enough about, but tonight has struck me differently.
I don't think God's gonna give us more than we can handle. Nor do I think He'll give us too little to work with/understand. But after reading this, I see the reason in asking for enough. I do think sometimes when I personally try to do it "all" so to speak I forget God in the middle of it (hello, this entire freakin week).
I get so overwhelmed I forget who the heck I do this all for.
On the other side of the spectrum, sometimes I get the case of "oh if only I could do this/that" instead of actually taking some sort of action. We weren't called to just sit around and wait for things to happen either. I've done enough of BOTH to know that neither work very well.
Enough is all I WANT to ask for right now. Nothing more, and nothing less either. What I need is enough of whatever it is I need to be something to someone in this world. I don't need anything fancy... I don't need to have this amazing life story/circumstance to come around to do something worthwhile. It took me forever to realize that I don't have to be at the right place at the right time to make a difference. I can do ENOUGH right here right now if I just step up and do it.
Know what I think my calling is? To teach. Simple enough, right? But not just teach History or English til the 3'o clock bell rings. I want to make a difference in a kid's life like so many teachers have made in mine. It's my calling to put my love and passion for learning into students, just as teachers like Mrs. Davenport, Mrs. Tomlinson, Mrs. Watts and many more have put in mine over the years. It's not just about me, and I never want it to be.
It was Mother Teresa that said, "God does not command that we do great things, only little things with great love." I don't think I'm called to do something crazy big in this world. I'm just called to do SOMETHING. To do enough, to BE enough in the life of a child. That's what I want to do.
Just give me enough, God. Somehow, I'll figure out how I'm supposed to use it.
Look what I just stumbled across!! And DANG girl, you can write! Thank you for blessing my life tonight with your beautiful words and thoughts and prayers. Love you so much.
ReplyDeleteYou are the sweetest thing. :) I love you so much! thank you for everything.
Delete