Monday's Blessing
Psalm 154:14
"'The Lord sustains all who fall and raises up all who are bowed down."
Are you amidst a bit of turbulence today? The Scripture says, "When you've done everything you know how to do, just keep on standing firm." (Ephesians 6:13. You may be in a situation today where you have done your best. You've prayed and believed. You've placed your faith firmly on the thought of God's word. But it just doesn't look like anything good is happening. Now your tempted to say, "What's the use? It's never going to change."
Some days it's OK to just "stand up". There maybe nothing else you can do right now but keep standing. Those are the days you paste a smile on your face, stand tall, and walk out the door. Some days, it's all you can do.
But, don't give up! Keep standing! Keep praying; keep believing; keep hoping in faith. "Don't cast away your confidence," they Bible teaches, "FOR PAYDAY IS COMING". (Hebrews 10:35) Let me tell you, God will reward you if you keep standing up on the inside. You may be in the hospital or lying flat on your back at home. But even if you cannot stand up physically, nothing can keep you from standing up on the inside. That sickness may have you down physically, but you don't have to be down spiritually or emotionally. You can keep on getting up in your heart, mind, and will.
We can be so stubborn at times. It's amazing that God's love is ever reaching. About seven years ago, I invested a number of hours each day into a new educational model. When I say, I ate, breathed, and slept with this new concept; it is an understatement. I knew, deep down in my heart, that this was God's plan for me. I exercised all my energies into a brand new educational facility that would help those kids who were falling through the cracks.
It was a brand new concept incorporating outdoor education into an existing curriculum. It was fresh, it was new, and we began getting phone calls immediately. One troubling item was that parents of special needs children were calling. We began giving tours, and one tour led into another until it seemed our days were destined from entourage of special needs parents.
My friend and co-director and I immediately assessed the situation. How were we going to accommodate these new students? We weren't specifically trained to handle special needs. We had a few already enrolled, and to say life was trying with classroom accommodations, was an understatement. To add more fuel we were inept on the scholarships and rules that we must follow if we take in these new enrollees.
We pushed those new applications to the side and kept touring. Needless to say, the school closed shortly thereafter. We did not want to get involved with all the demands required of this type of educational facility. Those new students we were SURE were coming, simply never came.
Two years into Unemployment Compensation, I was ready to give up. My inner "bright side" was falling because I was on my last Unemployment check. I was doomed, and if I didn't find something quickly, I was going to lose my house.
With my last check in hand, and I mean the last check, I was frightened, wondering what I was going to do next month. Then, out of the blue, a friend told me of a job opening at a new school. It was with special needs. I decided to revisit that thought that left me penniless.
I walked in to one of the brightest, most inviting schools I had ever had the pleasure to meet. Everyone was smiling (something you don't see regularly in a neurotypical school). That's because the kids were smiling. They were all students of autism. These students, that braced my door previously, were not what I expected. They were kind, patient, and welcoming. The minute I rounded my first corner I was greeted by a handshake, smile, and "Welcome to our school. It's so nice to meet you," from a 12 year old.
Certainly any preconceived notions were banished at that moment. Thirty plus years of teaching promptly showed me my initial thoughts of these special needs children were completely wrong. What had I given up before? Was I so self-proclaimed that I banished a blessing from God two weeks ago? I was so certain my original path did not include special needs. Now, I was wondering why? Why had I been so bull-headed. Why hadn't I let God show me this new avenue? Why did I decide that MY WAY was best?
At the end of my interview I knew this was my new home. With only 30 minutes of touring, I could see the type of academic routine these kids needed. Why hadn't I thought of that before? Why was I so blinded to God's needs?
I opened my arms and heart and the job was mine. Next month was not a worry any longer.
For five years I have never been so happy. My days are no longer entwined with heavy discipline but rather loads of smiles because that's what works best with our kids. I no longer have to teach lessons of patience and "wait your turn" because our kids do that automatically. How could I not have seen this before? Thankfully God is patient and kept knocking at my door.
It took two years to feel fully involved with the job market again. What are you praying for? How long will it take you to get there? Have patience and stay on the BRIGHT SIDE INSIDE. Your time is coming when you least expect it. God has your back always.
Psalm 154:14
"'The Lord sustains all who fall and raises up all who are bowed down."
Are you amidst a bit of turbulence today? The Scripture says, "When you've done everything you know how to do, just keep on standing firm." (Ephesians 6:13. You may be in a situation today where you have done your best. You've prayed and believed. You've placed your faith firmly on the thought of God's word. But it just doesn't look like anything good is happening. Now your tempted to say, "What's the use? It's never going to change."
Some days it's OK to just "stand up". There maybe nothing else you can do right now but keep standing. Those are the days you paste a smile on your face, stand tall, and walk out the door. Some days, it's all you can do.
But, don't give up! Keep standing! Keep praying; keep believing; keep hoping in faith. "Don't cast away your confidence," they Bible teaches, "FOR PAYDAY IS COMING". (Hebrews 10:35) Let me tell you, God will reward you if you keep standing up on the inside. You may be in the hospital or lying flat on your back at home. But even if you cannot stand up physically, nothing can keep you from standing up on the inside. That sickness may have you down physically, but you don't have to be down spiritually or emotionally. You can keep on getting up in your heart, mind, and will.
We can be so stubborn at times. It's amazing that God's love is ever reaching. About seven years ago, I invested a number of hours each day into a new educational model. When I say, I ate, breathed, and slept with this new concept; it is an understatement. I knew, deep down in my heart, that this was God's plan for me. I exercised all my energies into a brand new educational facility that would help those kids who were falling through the cracks.
It was a brand new concept incorporating outdoor education into an existing curriculum. It was fresh, it was new, and we began getting phone calls immediately. One troubling item was that parents of special needs children were calling. We began giving tours, and one tour led into another until it seemed our days were destined from entourage of special needs parents.
My friend and co-director and I immediately assessed the situation. How were we going to accommodate these new students? We weren't specifically trained to handle special needs. We had a few already enrolled, and to say life was trying with classroom accommodations, was an understatement. To add more fuel we were inept on the scholarships and rules that we must follow if we take in these new enrollees.
We pushed those new applications to the side and kept touring. Needless to say, the school closed shortly thereafter. We did not want to get involved with all the demands required of this type of educational facility. Those new students we were SURE were coming, simply never came.
Two years into Unemployment Compensation, I was ready to give up. My inner "bright side" was falling because I was on my last Unemployment check. I was doomed, and if I didn't find something quickly, I was going to lose my house.
With my last check in hand, and I mean the last check, I was frightened, wondering what I was going to do next month. Then, out of the blue, a friend told me of a job opening at a new school. It was with special needs. I decided to revisit that thought that left me penniless.
I walked in to one of the brightest, most inviting schools I had ever had the pleasure to meet. Everyone was smiling (something you don't see regularly in a neurotypical school). That's because the kids were smiling. They were all students of autism. These students, that braced my door previously, were not what I expected. They were kind, patient, and welcoming. The minute I rounded my first corner I was greeted by a handshake, smile, and "Welcome to our school. It's so nice to meet you," from a 12 year old.
Certainly any preconceived notions were banished at that moment. Thirty plus years of teaching promptly showed me my initial thoughts of these special needs children were completely wrong. What had I given up before? Was I so self-proclaimed that I banished a blessing from God two weeks ago? I was so certain my original path did not include special needs. Now, I was wondering why? Why had I been so bull-headed. Why hadn't I let God show me this new avenue? Why did I decide that MY WAY was best?
At the end of my interview I knew this was my new home. With only 30 minutes of touring, I could see the type of academic routine these kids needed. Why hadn't I thought of that before? Why was I so blinded to God's needs?
I opened my arms and heart and the job was mine. Next month was not a worry any longer.
For five years I have never been so happy. My days are no longer entwined with heavy discipline but rather loads of smiles because that's what works best with our kids. I no longer have to teach lessons of patience and "wait your turn" because our kids do that automatically. How could I not have seen this before? Thankfully God is patient and kept knocking at my door.
It took two years to feel fully involved with the job market again. What are you praying for? How long will it take you to get there? Have patience and stay on the BRIGHT SIDE INSIDE. Your time is coming when you least expect it. God has your back always.
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