This year, my kids and I have a little more time in the mornings to check in and have a family meeting before the craziness of the day gets started. We talk about things like organization, self control, bullying, kindness, stress, and finding joy. Often after just a few minutes of talking about the topic, I can see the effects of the discussion: that messy binder got a little neater, those markers were magically picked up off the floor, and that one student actually held the door open for someone. Why is it that my students are so quick to put into play a new strategy that they've learned to help their Social Emotional Health, but I'm just over here holding it all in and finally losing it?
I've discovered that children are fearless. They will tell you when your hair looks like crap, even though you're the teacher. They will jump from the top of the slide because they thought they woke up Superman today. They will eat things off the ground. They will break the pencil in half just because it sounded fun.
They will try things without caring about the opinions of those around them.
This means they will hear you when you say "be kind to someone today." They also know their limits and how much they can take. True, adults don't usually eat things off the ground, but we also are different from children in that we care more about what others see in us. We take on more than we can handle because it "looks good" to others. We try not to bother people with our problems because we don't want to seem weak.
We depend so much upon our own strength and might that we often forget that we have Someone who is stronger, more powerful, more mighty, and more capable than we will ever be.
I've definitely been depending on myself more in these past few weeks because I want to seem like I have it all together when really, this year has been tough. I have stressful challenges in my class, my grad school work is exhausting, and moving into a new apartment has taken up so much of my time. Last Friday, I finally was at a point where I couldn't take it anymore. I broke. And after I broke, one of my friends at school asked me if I'd been praying about my kids or listening to positive music in the mornings. Of course my answer was no. I'd been ignoring Him and spending time focusing on my to-do list.
I am not invincible. My strength alone is not enough. My power alone is not enough.
He is enough.
Zechariah 4:6 says "So he said to me... 'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the Lord Almighty." When we're given seemingly impossible tasks to complete and asked to meet almost unreachable deadlines, we have to remember that we cannot survive in this world just by being tough, strong, and powerful. It is only through God's Spirit that we're able to accomplish anything of lasting value in this world. In times of trouble and frustration, we have to depend on God through prayer and devotion. We alone are not able.
Call on Him when you've been at school for 13 hours and you don't think you can grade one more paper. Call on Him when you aren't sure how to love on that one student who pushes every button. Call on Him when suddenly you're up to your eyeballs in paperwork. He is there for us. Call on Him.
Settling your glitter: (verb) the act of taking a break and calming down while thinking about glitter falling to the bottom of a ball or snow globe; an amazing theory from The Momentous Institute; what Ms. Williams needs to do more often.
If you're not familiar with the Settle Your Glitter app found in the iTunes store and developed by The Momentous Institute, please check it out! It has been a game-changer in my classroom (and life) this year!
Through Faith in Him and the Fifth,
Meg