I have enjoyed my summer in Virginia so much that the start of a school year tomorrow makes for a bitter-sweet time. Nothing beats 20 hours of work mixed with 90 hours of play, yet I was called to teach and I am excited to begin the crazy, stressful, painful, hilarious, tender, challenging, ridiculous, phenomenal, incredible school year. So many friendships are just beginning to blossom, and I fear regression after so much progress. My life for the next five months is: school, work, sleep, school, work, sleep, school, youth, sleep, school, work, sleep, school, work, sleep, WEEKEND (of papers and resting)!!! school, work, sleep, repeat. The days will begin to fly by. My patience will be tested and my time with the Lord tried. The guitar practices will skimp up. Books will take longer to get through. ...And, lives will be touched.
Tonight the Lord blessed me on my way home from youth. I was fighting my way through a mess of emotions and thoughts and sighed as I rested my head back against the headrest at a stop light. It was not a bad night, but fears and disappointments and failures were catching up with me. When in my peripheral vision, I caught sight of frantic movement. My head was lifted to the sight of two of my wonderful youth group students: one going into 7th grade and another moving up with the high schoolers entering 9th grade. These boys had their entire bodies leaning out the window, grinning ear to ear, and were waving like maniacs in attempts to get my attention. I looked over and couldn't help but beam. Their dad was driving them home from youth and also glanced over to smile approvingly at me. I waved back, silently thanking God for blessing me with this encouragement and wishing these boys knew how deeply and irrevocably that I love them. What better way for a teacher to begin a year?
This is what makes it all worth it. This is why we do what we do. This is what we work for.
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