New attitude....

The other day I was reading an article in Todays Pentecostal Evangel. It was a story on Victor & David Plymire’s work in China. Between the 2 of them (father and son), they have 100 years ministry in China. When David was first entering missions, he went to Taiwan b/c China was closed. He knew the language of the place he had grown up in China, but he didn’t know the language of Taiwan (Mandarin). He said China opened and he was not sent there and when it did open, he was still not sent there. He ended up being in Taiwan for several years and to quote “even though that was not my heart’s desire.” He often questioned God and really struggled as to why he was in Taiwan when his heart was in China. Well, while in Taiwan, he studied diligently to learn Mandarin. He started a radio program in Mandarin. Over time, his Mandarin became so good that when people met him they didn’t believe it was really him because they thought he was Chinese and are shocked to find he’s just a white American. His radio ministry ended up being broadcast in China and through that, he was able to reach millions in some of the remotest villages. He went through years of valleys thinking he was not doing what HE wanted and not ministering to the people HE wanted to minister to, but all along, he really was. He had no idea that he was reaching to the people of China in some of the remotest villages he never could have travelled to himself. As a result, thousands of people know the Lord through the radio ministry he had because of his time in Taiwan. Even though he no longer has that and is retired living here in Springfield, his radio ministry lives on and is still broadcast on the air waves in China and Taiwan.



This was such an encouragement to me!. Even though my heart’s desire is not yet at Westport Elementary as a paraprofessional in kindergarten (YIKES), God has placed me there. My heart's desire is teaching full time in my own classroom. I don’t know why God has put me where HE has, but He has. I hope this is an encouragement to you today as well. I can’t tell you why God does the things He does, but I know that not only are our best interest is in His mind, but the best interest of others is as well and we don’t know what strings He’s pulling in the background to make our dreams come true and to touch other people through us as a result.



So for the next 9 months, I will continue pouring out my heart and abilities to help a great teacher and 23 kindergartners ! I will also continue learning and observing and growing so that next year I can be an even better teacher and reach even more kids. I don't know what God is going to do through me in the next year, but here I am Lord! Use me! Lord establish the works of my hands!

Transitions

I find myself often at a loss for words these days. School starts next week. While my friends are happily getting classrooms together and frantically making lesson plans...I am still searching for a job. This is not quite how I envisioned this time of year. To say this has been a struggle would be a tremendous understatement. I rarely cry. But over the past few weeks, I cannot seem to stop. I am trying incredibly hard to be at peace with this and rest knowing God has my future in His hands, but it's still difficult. While I happily support and encourage all of my friends who are now teaching, there's a part of me that struggles to even do that. I am so happy for them but I am also slightly envious. I have worked so hard and I want this so badly.

I have accepted a position as a paraprofessional in a kindergarten classroom at Westport ELementary here in Springfield. I am VERY excited for this opportunity. My biggest concern has been that if I take a year off of all education related things that it would be too hard to get back in next year with no experience and a year off. This was definitely an open door to pursue teaching and will be an inroad in the future for teaching. It is only a part time position so I will stay at GPH for another year working part time as well. Not ideal for me or GPH at all, but I am thankful they have chosen to allow me to do this.

This summer has been up and down. I had great intentions all summer and planned on doing so much and NOTHING has gone as planned. All I have done is work, work, work just to stay afloat. I am tired and have been sick almost all summer.

Despite everything, I still have hope and joy. I have many questions as to WHY God has chosen this route for me, but right now I'm not getting many answers. Only time will tell. God has never forsaken me nor will He. From the time I decided to become a teacher in 2007 until now, God has opened every door and made everything work out in ways i never could have dreamed...so I must continue to trust He will do so. While it's not my "dream," I am so thankful for the para job and look forward to meeting the kindergartners!

IN the mean time, I feel I have had a lot of spiritual growth in this walk of faith. There's the old saying "what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger" and I feel very much this is one of those times.

"Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted in the Heavens, I will be exalted in the Earth." Ps 46:10