As each school year comes to an end, I tend to get a bit pensive. Suddenly I start to miss my kiddos…even those few that drove me up the wall. I start to regret that the main thing I know about them is how proficient they are in math. Sure, I go to a few football games, band concerts, etc. and see my students involved in different areas. But somewhere along the way, each kiddo that came into my room everyday became more of a student and less of a regular teenager. But… these are real kids. 14 year olds with hurts, needs, and insecurities. Kids who have lost a mom to cancer, are being fought over in bitter custody battles, or who are so lost and hungry for affection that they find themselves pregnant. It took these recent developments to give me a wakeup call as to what I’m really supposed to be doing. Maybe it’s just a five-year slump, but this year teaching has gradually become a job and not a calling. And I hate that.

One of my favorite movies is “Chariots of Fire”. While I realize that not everyone loves running as much as I do, it is still a wonderful story. The main character, Eric Liddell, is a runner who won the gold medal at the 1924 Olympics. Liddell later became a missionary to China and served there until his death. The scene that still impacts me the most from this movie is when Liddell’s sister asks him why he still insists on running even after he had been accepted as part of a Chinese mission program. He answers, “I believe that God made me for a purpose…for China. But he also made me fast, and when I run, I feel His pleasure.” The movie ends with Liddell crossing the finish line at the Olympics, obviously elated that he was able to fulfill the purpose that God had called him to. It gives me chills just thinking about it.

So that’s what I’m after—to feel God’s pleasure. To serve him in such a way that my exhilaration in fulfilling his purpose draws glory to Him. For now, the Lord has called me to be a teacher. He has called me to encourage young people and to be a tangible example of Jesus’ love. Somehow I lost sight of that this year. While I realize that my job is primarily to teach 8th graders how to solve two-step equations, it is also my responsibility to pray for them, learn about their interests, ask about their lives outside of the classroom, and to let each one of them know that they are loved and cared for. I recently read something that summed this up pretty nicely: “When we use our gifts in obedience, we are doing what we were made to do—glorifying God and advancing His kingdom. There's nothing so personally satisfying.”

Micah 6:8
O people, the LORD has told you what is good,
and this is what he requires of you:
to do what is right, to love mercy,
and to walk humbly with your God.