Humble Gratitude: One Thousand Gifts #271

Sometimes the most amazing things happen when you least expect.

Teaching is very rewarding work.

But it doesn’t always feel that way.

Some students are as focused as a cat watching for signs of its prey moving in the grass.

The prey –in education– is knowledge.

Others can hardly contain their own thoughts, let alone absorb any others.

Yesterday was the kind of day when the latter students overcame the focus of the former.

At the end of each school day, I read my devotional calendar quote again and then open to Psalms. I am reading one each day ~ in order.

Yesterday’s reading was Psalm 27.

“The Lord is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear?

The Lord is the stronghold of my life –

Of whom shall I be afraid?

…

One think I ask of the Lord,

This is what I seek:

That I may dwell in the house of the Lord

All the days of my life,

To gaze upon the beauty of the Lord

And to seek him in his temple.

For in the day of trouble

He will keep me safe in his dwelling;

He will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle

And set me high upon a rock.

… at this moment, the cloudy sky opened for the sun… and its warm glow reached my face.

I looked up from my reading and accepted the comfort.

Hear my voice when I call, O Lord;

Be merciful to me and answer me.

My heart says of you, “Seek his face!”

Your face, Lord I will seek.

Do not hide your face from me,

Do not turn your servant away in anger;

You have been my helper.

Do not reject me or forsake me,

O God my Savior.

…

I am still confident of this:

I will see the goodness of the Lord

In the land of the living.

Wait for the Lord;

Be strong and take heart

And wait for the Lord.”

. . . I stayed at the window for a few moments more, feeling the comfort of the Lord’s word and in the sunshine he sent me.

In that moment of acceptance and as peace was returning to my spirit – a student that is trying to overcome an ongoing problem with focus, schoolwork and discipline, and one of the sources of my disappointment for the day… quietly walked in and said, Mrs. C, I’m just checking in with you. What can I turn in tomorrow that I owe?

He was after school catching up for one of his other teachers… and took a break to visit his other teachers that may still be in the building.

I told him that I had a difficult day (which he knew about first hand) and was glad to see him. I was glad to see that the hard work we do (teachers and students) can pay off… can make a difference.

The Lord sent me a gift in that small, five minute visit. The day ended with a reward.

For this, I thank you, Lord.

272. For a warm home to come home to.
273. For Chris ... who gets my toast and travel cup ready every morning!

274. For my children who work so hard...
275. For work
276. The sweet ways the Lord lets me know He IS
277. Sunrises on the way to work
278. Pretty views from my windows
279. Fresh vegetables still coming from under the snow.