Food for thought…

Well I got the call yesterday that everyone dreads… the call from the doctor that says some blood work came back abnormal.  They want more tests… it seems I’ve been tested and tested and retested for the last few years.  So this isn’t something new, but I had actually thought everything was normal now.  So to hear that it wasn’t was quite a shock!!!

I’d like to be able to say my first reaction was of faith and peace in all circumstances….but that was the furthest from my reaction.  I’m embarrassed to admit that this daughter of the Great and Powerful God panicked – thinking the worse of course.

After a good night of sleep I’ve come to my senses.  I know that the days ahead will have tests.  Then I will wait for what feels like forever to hear the results, but there is absolutely nothing I can do to change the outcome.  I know that no amount of worry or stress will help anything.  So at this point I must rest in the peace that surpasses all understanding that comes from God and God alone!!!  And that is what has filled my heart today!!!

However, I have to share a thought I had today while driving to one of these tests…. as I said yesterday I thought the worst – and for those of you who don’t know I have a pretty creative imagination… so I thought “What if I was told I didn’t have long to live?”  Would I live today like I have?  Would change my life in any way?  Would I live differently?

I can honestly say that other than spending as much time as possible with loved ones – I’d live my life just as I am!!! Sure I would want to travel and see some things I haven’t seen in this beautiful world.  But honestly I love what I do – I love teaching and working with the wonderful people I work with!!! I love my students and would desire to impact their life just as I pray I do on a daily basis!!!!  I have full confidence that I am right where God wants me to be and I strive daily to do what he calls me to do in that day!!!

So I’m sure I’ll go do these tests and I’m hopeful the doctors will figure out what’s going on.  I’m confident it’s something that can be treated or lived with.  But at the end of this experience I’ll hopefully grown a bit more…it’s the testing of faith described in James Chapter 1:2 “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds,3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.4 Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

So my friends, if today you find yourself facing a trial consider it pure joy.  Know that this will help develop your faith and produce perseverance.  I know that God is faithful to complete what he has started!!! Know that He loves you and I more than we can comprehend and he is faithful to us!!!

Know your limits…

The first week back to school has brought much excitement and some stress too.  I have to explain a situation I’ve experienced this week and then share what I’ve learned from it.

My colleague had a baby last week and of course is out on maternity leave.  We had an amazing substitute lined up to fill in for her however at the last minute she got hired on by the district.  We followed appropriate procedures to find another sub.  She showed up the first day of school and participated in a few days of professional development with us.  I had taken quite a bit of time to sit and explain everything with her as thoroughly as I could.  However, she lacked the experience of teaching before; she only had subbing experience and not much of that was in special education.   As I worked with her, I began to worry more and more that she was not ready for a position of this size.

This is where I learn from this young woman.  Through a chain of events she admitted that she did not feel able to fulfill the expectations of the position.  She resigned from her position much to my relief.  She knew her own limits.  She knew what she could do and she was wise enough to recognize when something was too much for her.

This made me wonder… do I know my limits as well?  Am I as wise to say “yes” when I can and “no” when I know I can’t?  I think all too often we don’t want to let someone down, be embarrassed, or be seen as a failure.  However, how much more admirable it is to realize prior to failure that something is too much or too big for us to handle.

I know there are some circumstances that we are able to recognize our limits and live within them.  I’m encouraged to do that more within my own life through this experience and through God’s word…

Psalm 131:1

O Lord, my heart is not lifted up;
my eyes are not raised too high;
I do not occupy myself with things
too great and too marvelous for me.
2 But I have calmed and quieted my soul,
like a weaned child with its mother;
like a weaned child is my soul within me.

3 O Israel, hope in the Lord
from this time forth and forevermore.

I’m encouraged today to find peace for my soul in my Savior Jesus and my loving Father God!!!  I hope in God alone forevermore!!!

Hello blog world!

Hello Friends!!!

I’ve finally joined the blog world!!! I enjoy reading my friends blogs so I thought that I’d start my own and maybe you’d enjoy reading my thoughts and life happenings!!!  I’m pretty poor at emailing but maybe I’ll be a bit better updating here!