Don't be Scared

Well, student has begun and been going on for 5 weeks now. I am at an elementary school outside of town, and I love it. I have been blessed with students who listen well (for the most part) and actually want to participate. I accredit all this to the students of course and not me (although I'm hoping the curriculum and myself are also huge benefactors). Every day is exhausting-being on my feet for 7 hours with only a few breaks in-between. The exhaustion doesn't discourage me though because I am in love with teaching! I am overjoyed that I have found my skills and can finally use them for God as he intended. It took 6 years of college and 2 degrees, but it is safe to say I have found a keeper in teaching physical education.
I will be switching over to the middle school come October 14th, so I am also hoping I still thoroughly enjoy the 6th-8th graders as well as teaching them health! I know attitudes in middle school will be more prominent than in elementary school so I am working on my disciplinary skills currently. I am looking forward to the day when I will be paid to do these things :)

At first, I was a little scared about teaching because I had some doubts in myself. However, I still knew I could do it and do it well. My cooperating teacher has complemented me every day on how well I am doing which has been a great encouragement. My doubt did not last long-I think my very first class of student teaching showed me that I would be fine and do a good, thorough job. I am glad that I have found my gifts and can now use them to impact children and families in a beneficial way.

One week into student teaching, I also got a scare concerning our newly conceived baby. I had some complications and made an ultrasound appointment to have the baby checked out. Unfortunately for us, our baby left this world earlier in August and is now with Jesus, their Creator. We miss our baby and at first we were very sad that we would never hold our baby here on earth. But, we find incredible joy in the fact that our child experienced no pain, is being held in the arms of Christ, and is now doing what they were created to do-glorify and worship the Lord. We are only sad because we miss him/her, but our joy for our baby's life always overwhelms our sorrows :) We are thankful for the time we had with our baby and the joy they brought us just as much as we are thankful that our child is in the presence of Christ right now and for the rest of eternity. The Lord blesses us in strange ways sometimes and it can be overwhelming and very difficult during those times. But we cannot ever be angry with Him because all we have is His. All we have ever been given is His. All we will ever receive is a gracious gift from Him. The grace He gives us is encouraging and brings overwhelming joy. His grace puts life into perspective and reminds us of how much we need Him. He knows how to care for us and reveal to us His sovereignty over all things.

Another great thing that helps us find joy is the fact that God knows what we are going through. He lost a child as well. His child endured hardship though and endured it unjustly-for us. Not only in our place, but so that when we leave this world we will live with Him eternally. It does not get any better than that.

Don't be scared.

2 Corinthians 4:15-18 (NASB)

For all things are for your sakes, so that the grace which is[e]spreading to more and more people may cause the giving of thanks to abound to the glory of God.

16 Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. 17 For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, 18 while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.