Back to Work

Well I’ve been back to work for three weeks now, and I think I’m getting a little use to getting up so early in the morning. I definitely miss spending the entire day with Makayla. She has grown so much over the summer, and I am so proud of all the things she is learning. She just learned to say “juice” and is trying to say “baby” too. I am so thankful to God for blessing me with such an awesome daughter. I love every part of being a wife and a mom and wish I could be a sahm all year long. Luckily, I am teacher so I get to look forward to being a sahm every summer; now that is a true blessing!

I will be honest and say there have been a few times when I wondered if what I do every day as a teacher truly makes a difference. Sometimes I feel like my daily tasks at work are so monotonous.  I certainly know other people may feel the same way. My days and weeks feel so busy since I’ve been back to work. I just really want to make sure I am giving the same energy to my family as I’m giving to my students. I work my butt off trying to be a good teacher, a good role model, and a good employee. And I strive so much to be a good wife, mom, daughter, sister, and friend. How can I do all of this? Only with God’s help of course! I find myself thinking of Mary, mother of Jesus. Can you imagine what Mary must have gone through? She was about to get married to Joseph and an angel appears to her and tells her she will be with child and will give birth to a son. She must have felt such a huge responsibility. She must have wondered if she was doing things good enough, and if she could be the person God wanted her to be. But Mary trusted God through it all, and her story teaches us that in order to be willing to accept God's plan for our lives, we must know Him, believe in Him, seek Him and trust in Him. It’s a journey of being obedient to God through everything, including the small things.

God is always so faithful, and knows exactly what our needs are. Early last week we had Parent Orientation at school. Once it was over a mom of one of my former students came up to me. She reminded me of how irritated she felt when her son got me as a teacher 3 years ago. She said she just knew the entire year could be thrown in the trash since I was a “new teacher”. She really didn’t have to remind me of this however, because I remember the night clearly. I was a brand new teacher at my school, completely blinded by excitement that I failed to prepare myself for parents that didn’t want their child to have a “new teacher”. Anyhow, last week she told me something that I really needed to hear at that time. She said, “We really thought that year was going to be awful, but it turned out to be the best year, and Johnny (made-up name) still misses you. He has that country project ya’ll did still sitting in the garage and won’t get rid of it! We really hoped our daughter would get you as a teacher this year.” Wow! Now that made me feel like maybe I made a difference in someone’s life. I hope and pray that God allows me to do that as often as possible.

So no matter what I am feeling inside or what I'm going though, I know there is a Maker, my Maker, who is greater than anything! And you know what? In all the busyness of life God never leaves me or forsakes me; He is for me.

“So faithful
So constant
So loving and so true
So powerful in all you do
You fill me
You see me
You know my every move
You love for me to sing to you

I know that you are for me
I know that you are for me
I know that you will never forsake me in my weakness
I know that you have come down
Even if to write upon my heart
To remind me who you are”

God Bless,

Shawna