Since the beginning of school, I've seen a lot of articles about the state of education and the teaching profession in general. Last week, one of my dear friends who is going through a teacher prep program share a all-too-familiar encounter with a gentleman who suggested that her career choice to be "just a teacher" was an "easy way out." It was so nice to see the comments of those who encouraged and validated her life's calling--including her peers, teachers, and others. I wanted to reply, but my answer turned into a blog post, hence, today's post. (And if you're not a teacher, hang in there... I have a point... I promise!)
But here's the thing. The "easy way out" is something I've heard myself. You guys, I actually had a teacher who told me I shouldn't be a teacher because I "had more to offer." So I know it hurts. It seeps in from some of the most unexpected areas of our lives sometimes. And it's a lie. It's one of the biggest lies I've ever let myself believe. It's such a big lie that I fear it's hurting our nation very near the future's core--these kids are our future. And these kids? They're down-right incredible. Step inside my classroom and see. The students of today need so much more than just teachers.
They need caring hands.
They need astute minds.
They need creative innovators.
They need intuitive spirits.
They need willing hearts.
They need resiliant wills.
They need relentless souls.
They need great educators.
My students? They are passionate, intelligent, and resilient. They love big, "feel" big, and want to do big things. They have hopes and dreams and goals that are so sweetly unique and beautiful in each of their own ways. They are so much more than "just students," so they need--and deserve--so much more than "just teachers."
If you can remember a teacher who had an impact on you, then this is what I'm talking about. What you probably didn't know is the hours they poured into their lessons. The days they labored to love you better, to love you more. The tears they cried over your struggles, your passions, and your victories. And if you're lucky, the prayers they prayed over you while you passed them in the hallway, wrote essays, and took tests.
Don't get me wrong, there are so many days I question my calling. There are so many other things that I would love to do. But there are so many other moments that humble me and put things into perspective--when a student pours their heart out in an essay; when the light bulb goes off for a struggling student; when an otherwise uninterested student gets excited; when my conference is interrupted by a student just wanting to talk; when I grade papers and see improvement by leaps and bounds. I could go on and on, but those are just the things that happened last week.
Maybe you know what if feels like to be degraded to "just a _____________. " Mulling this over for quite some time, I was reminded tonight in bible study about Jesus' parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30). The point of our gifts and our callings has nothing to do with us. It's all about how we get to share and grow them. Sure, we can keep them to ourselves or we could say, "oh, but it's 'just' a little thing," but that's not THE call. We get to make disciples. We could have an attitude of "just" or an attitude of "must."
How much more is God glorified when we find joy in every aspect of our lives?
How much more if God glorified when we feel an urgent need to fulfill the calling He has given us?
How much more is God glorified when we use our gifts to be multipliers for His kingdom?
Maybe, you feel like you're "just a _____________." Maybe, someone has made you feel small. Maybe, you look around and wonder what you even have to offer. Maybe, you just don't believe you're valued. I get that. I've been there. But the point of Jesus's parable is that with whatever we are given, we are to multiply it. We are to take our little or our lot and turn it into something more for the sake of the gospel. My friend, if you're a Jesus-follower, then that IS your call, it may just take other forms like teaching. And even if following Jesus is the only call you're sure of, believe me, it's enough. You might not think you have a lot to offer, but you have the gospel. And if you have the gospel, you have the single most important thing that can be shared with someone else--no matter your degree, your pay check, or your profession. Friend, there is so much fulfillment in taking action towards what God has called you to do. What would the world look like if we got over our justs and wildly pursued our musts?
Sunday, September 18, 2016
Monday, September 5, 2016
My Life's Invitation
Well friends, since you are reading this, Warren and I have officially survived BACK-TO-SCHOOL Weeks 1 and 2. For this high school teacher and college minister husband, it is safe to say that the first couple of weeks back to school is one of our favorites, but it is also one of our busiest.
To be honest, having a foot in both worlds can be really difficult for me sometimes. Like, my husband gets paid to share the gospel and love on college students, many of whom I consider my friends. How cool is his job? Me? I drive to the cutest town in the middle of nowhere to work with junior high and high school students. I love my job. I love my students, but sometimes I don't always "get" my being called there. So, as I prepared for the school year, my scattered brain kept coming back to the question of "How can I show Jesus to my [public school] students better?" Over and over again (because I sometimes need "over and over again"), the answer was simple: You show them.
You just show them.
But... It can't be THAT easy?
It is. And here's what I've been learning.
I don't go to the same churches my students do. I don't live in the same community. My family's ministry is not directed in the same circles as their lives. How do I get to invite them to church if I live in a town 30 miles away?
Oh, but friend. It's not about the invitation to the event. It's about the life behind the invitation. In a way, I see that there are three different types of invitation. You've got the Facebook invitation--the "come one, come all" type that takes maybe 3 seconds and keeps your interest for about 2. Then there's the standard invitation. The kind that comes in the mail or is handed out by a friend. You are one of select group--whether it's 10 or 100--that will get this invitation. Nonetheless, there's still a feeling of making the cut, of being important enough to spend time addressing an envelope to you. Then there's a third kind, the Jesus kind. The come-and-see kind. The face-to-face, take-you-by-the-hand kind. The kind that brings you along to the most unforgettable experiences.
Now here me out, I have used and will use all three of those types of invitations. Facebook events have had my back on multiple occasions, but it's not the kind of invitation I'm talking about. I want to talk about the life-changing kind. The Jesus kind.
You see, my students will never remember what my husband does. They will never remember me as a "minister's wife" [hallelujah!]. They'll remember me as a teacher. And I hope they'll remember me as one that pushed them to be their best. One that asked for a higher standard. One that let them ask questions and make mistakes. One that rallied behind them. One that sends them out empowered and prepared. One that truly cares. One that loves them.
Because--between all of the face-to-face, verbal kind of teaching--that's what Jesus did for his disciples.
So, no, maybe it's not my place to invite them to my church. And maybe I'll never get to share the gospel with each one of my dearies face-to-face. But my life is an invitation. The one they never knew they were watching. A source of prayers they have never heard. I pray that someday when each one begins to count the costs, he/she can look back and understand. And for my students who I have been able to share with, and the ones who know me as a Jesus-follower, and the ones who I know are believers--I hope the invitation is just as sweet. One that invites them into a life of passionately pursing Christ in all circumstances.
You guys, if I really have faith that someday ALL of the prayers prayed over their sweet lives will come to pass, I have to have faith that my life's invitation is enough.
I am hyper-aware of the power of the invitation. You see, our college minsitry could pass out flyers and cards all day. We could text random numbers. We could host 10 thousand amazing events. All of that would count for something, but it will never build a strong, lasting ministry. It takes the invitation. The personal one-on-one contact. The lives we live before and after are just as important to the invitation as the words themselves. I have to be aware of what my life-invitation is--in all circumstances at all times, whether I'm at school or the store or on campus:
Is it a gloss-over, I'm asking you because you're on "my list"?
Is it an invitation with delicate designs and fancy lettering that is exclusive?
Or is it an invitation that is inclusive and special. One that is extended far and wide, but still intimate and sincere?
Over and over again, I think about the invitations in the New Testament. When Jesus calls his disciples, there had to be something so sincere and intimate in his voice that makes them drop their nets and leave everything. And I'm pretty sure the crowds that gathered over and over again didn't abandon all their plans (let's be real--they didn't even pack a lunch), to go see a man named Jesus because of a Facebook invite. And I'm definitely sure that the woman at the well was a recipient of many delicate, exclusive invitations. Jesus lived the third kind. Jesus' life-invitation was so inclusive everyone can be invited. But it is one so special and intimate and sincere that it went to the cross to redeem each one of us.
This time of year in college ministry is all about connecting and establishing relationships. So we do a lot of inviting. We invite students to events. We invite them out to coffee. We invite them into loving church homes. All the while, we are inviting them into ministry and into friendships. We could do any of the three types of invitations, but it'll be the Jesus kind of life-inviting that makes a difference. Hopefully, with our actions and our words, we get the opportunity to invite them into a relationship with Christ. And even if that doesn't get to be us directly, you better believe that every single invitation up to that point matters, especially the way we live our lives.
To be honest, having a foot in both worlds can be really difficult for me sometimes. Like, my husband gets paid to share the gospel and love on college students, many of whom I consider my friends. How cool is his job? Me? I drive to the cutest town in the middle of nowhere to work with junior high and high school students. I love my job. I love my students, but sometimes I don't always "get" my being called there. So, as I prepared for the school year, my scattered brain kept coming back to the question of "How can I show Jesus to my [public school] students better?" Over and over again (because I sometimes need "over and over again"), the answer was simple: You show them.
You just show them.
But... It can't be THAT easy?
It is. And here's what I've been learning.
I don't go to the same churches my students do. I don't live in the same community. My family's ministry is not directed in the same circles as their lives. How do I get to invite them to church if I live in a town 30 miles away?
Oh, but friend. It's not about the invitation to the event. It's about the life behind the invitation. In a way, I see that there are three different types of invitation. You've got the Facebook invitation--the "come one, come all" type that takes maybe 3 seconds and keeps your interest for about 2. Then there's the standard invitation. The kind that comes in the mail or is handed out by a friend. You are one of select group--whether it's 10 or 100--that will get this invitation. Nonetheless, there's still a feeling of making the cut, of being important enough to spend time addressing an envelope to you. Then there's a third kind, the Jesus kind. The come-and-see kind. The face-to-face, take-you-by-the-hand kind. The kind that brings you along to the most unforgettable experiences.
Now here me out, I have used and will use all three of those types of invitations. Facebook events have had my back on multiple occasions, but it's not the kind of invitation I'm talking about. I want to talk about the life-changing kind. The Jesus kind.
You see, my students will never remember what my husband does. They will never remember me as a "minister's wife" [hallelujah!]. They'll remember me as a teacher. And I hope they'll remember me as one that pushed them to be their best. One that asked for a higher standard. One that let them ask questions and make mistakes. One that rallied behind them. One that sends them out empowered and prepared. One that truly cares. One that loves them.
Because--between all of the face-to-face, verbal kind of teaching--that's what Jesus did for his disciples.
So, no, maybe it's not my place to invite them to my church. And maybe I'll never get to share the gospel with each one of my dearies face-to-face. But my life is an invitation. The one they never knew they were watching. A source of prayers they have never heard. I pray that someday when each one begins to count the costs, he/she can look back and understand. And for my students who I have been able to share with, and the ones who know me as a Jesus-follower, and the ones who I know are believers--I hope the invitation is just as sweet. One that invites them into a life of passionately pursing Christ in all circumstances.
You guys, if I really have faith that someday ALL of the prayers prayed over their sweet lives will come to pass, I have to have faith that my life's invitation is enough.
I am hyper-aware of the power of the invitation. You see, our college minsitry could pass out flyers and cards all day. We could text random numbers. We could host 10 thousand amazing events. All of that would count for something, but it will never build a strong, lasting ministry. It takes the invitation. The personal one-on-one contact. The lives we live before and after are just as important to the invitation as the words themselves. I have to be aware of what my life-invitation is--in all circumstances at all times, whether I'm at school or the store or on campus:
Is it a gloss-over, I'm asking you because you're on "my list"?
Is it an invitation with delicate designs and fancy lettering that is exclusive?
Or is it an invitation that is inclusive and special. One that is extended far and wide, but still intimate and sincere?
Over and over again, I think about the invitations in the New Testament. When Jesus calls his disciples, there had to be something so sincere and intimate in his voice that makes them drop their nets and leave everything. And I'm pretty sure the crowds that gathered over and over again didn't abandon all their plans (let's be real--they didn't even pack a lunch), to go see a man named Jesus because of a Facebook invite. And I'm definitely sure that the woman at the well was a recipient of many delicate, exclusive invitations. Jesus lived the third kind. Jesus' life-invitation was so inclusive everyone can be invited. But it is one so special and intimate and sincere that it went to the cross to redeem each one of us.
This time of year in college ministry is all about connecting and establishing relationships. So we do a lot of inviting. We invite students to events. We invite them out to coffee. We invite them into loving church homes. All the while, we are inviting them into ministry and into friendships. We could do any of the three types of invitations, but it'll be the Jesus kind of life-inviting that makes a difference. Hopefully, with our actions and our words, we get the opportunity to invite them into a relationship with Christ. And even if that doesn't get to be us directly, you better believe that every single invitation up to that point matters, especially the way we live our lives.
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