"Bend down, O Lord, and hear my prayer, answer me, for I need Your help." (Psalm 86:1 NLT)
My side-gig as a substitute teacher has morphed into a full-time stint as a paraprofessional. It’s been a humbling transition, stepping into an entirely new field at the age of 43. I’m up long before the sun to sit with the Lord for a good while before I attempt to engage with others. By a quarter after seven, I’m making my way to the junior high where I spend eight class periods pushing students to do work they’d rather not touch. When the last bell rings, I sit in homework lab for another half an hour to help the kids with their math (agh!) and vocabulary and, occasionally, something fascinating like science or social studies.
Though the pay would suggest that my job is menial, the stamina required is actually quite strenuous. The middle school years are an emotional mess for maturing children: hormones, attitudes and changing frames all contribute to daily drama.
My job is to reinforce their education; re-teaching. On my best days, I re-teach in the Spirit. On those days, the fruits are falling off the limbs of my life: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. On my worst days, bad produce populates my branches. When I realize I’m not representing the Father well, I’ll take a quick walk down the hall or find a few moments in the teacher’s lounge to refuel with the Spirit and get my soul back in gear. Re-teaching is not for the faint of heart!
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard a student yell out “I don’t want to be here!” and I know full-well the daily, if not hourly, temptation of the teachers to join in the chorus. Yet, this tedious formation of minds moving from childhood to adulthood – it’s actually critical for the success of our society. It’s an important task and I’m convinced that’s why it’s so darn difficult.
This morning I read this scripture – “Bend down, O Lord, and hear my prayer; answer me, for I need Your help.” – and I thought of one student I spend a lot of time with. Bless her heart, she struggles. She’d really like me to do the work for her. She rarely raises her hand, instead she plaintively cries out “I need help.” Big brown eyes search out my full attention if I can’t get there quick enough. “Mrs. Thoreson, I need help!” Her personal request tugs on my heart strings; I’ll hunker down beside her, make eye contact, hear her problem and help her find a way to solve it.
Our Father is much the same, my friend. He is helping us through that long, awkward stage between sinner and saint. He understands our frustration amidst transformation. When we get stuck, we simply cry out, “I need help.” Scripture tells us, He bends near. He is good to come close and address our issue.
As a para, I’m not there to solve my student’s problems. I’m there to foster a love of learning and to hand children the tools to succeed long after I’ve left the room. I spend a lot of time talking with my students about adult life: how the challenges they face in school will prepare them for the reality of the real world.
Our Father’s tutoring is similar. The hardships of today equip us for the trials of tomorrow. And the tool He keeps handing us is trust. We learn to trust in His sovereignty, in His love, in His steadfast presence even when we can’t see Him. Trust will help us all the way Home.
We’re all still growing up in Christ, aren’t we? Thank God He’s near enough to teach us! He bends down to sit with us in our questions. He’s patient with our fits and moods and fury. He remains willing to instruct us even on the days when we don’t want to learn. Despite our resistance, we are getting a good and loving education that will lead us into eternity.
"O God, You have taught me from my earliest childhood and I constantly tell others about the wonderful things You do. Now that I am old and grey, do not abandon me, O God! Let me proclaim Your power to this generation, Your mighty miracles to all who come after me." (Psalm 71:17-18 NLT)
Lord, forgive us for our stubborn nature amidst Your schooling. We struggle to see what You are imparting. You are gracious and loving and patient and kind. We can learn from You. Grant us fortitude as we learn to embrace our divine education. Amen.
PS: This entry marks my 1000th blog post, can you believe it?!? In celebration of this milestone, I’m officially announcing the publication of a book I’ve contributed to. Forty Days of Focus is available now on Amazon.
