I went to worship at BCM Tuesday knowing I just needed that pure worship time, but I was struck by how much meaning Jerrod's talk about the challenges that new college students face and relevance those same words had in my life currently. I mean there are moments in sermons that you feel like God just singled you out, and said hey I am speaking directly to you with this sermon. I know that I have had struggled to see my place in the classroom with the difficulty of my first few weeks. But, God knows exactly how much we can handle and exactly when you need encouragement. Well, he did just that with the words He spoke through Jerrod.
The following verse struck me on Tuesday.
'I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance.' - Revelation 2:2
It may seem simple, but it just dawned on me that God knows my heart and my struggles. He also will never give me more than I can handle. He has called me to be an educator, I am certain of that. I need to be secure in the fact that he will use me where he places me. I have wondered in the past weeks if I was failing the students, because it has been a rocky start with students that have been lost to suspensions. I know too that I am doing all that I can to be effective inside and outside of the classroom. This verse hit me like a brick...persevere, keep fighting the good battle...just because you cant see the value immediately does not mean their is no value in the tasks you have been charged to carry out. I know that where I am weak He is strong...and He will be there to guide me in the direction to take in my job.
'He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.'- Isaiah 40:29-31
Tonight God knew exactly what I needed to hear to lift my spirit and change my perspective. I got a phone call from a friend that I have worked years with. First good news, he was baptized this past weekend...Amen. Second, he has decided to give back to his community through starting a high school tutoring ministry at his church. The tutoring started tonight and he called me so excited to let me know that he was tutoring two of my former students. He asked the students about me, and the student paid me one of the coolest/humbling compliments a teacher can receive. They are twins that I helped and had many conversations with while student teaching. The students told him that, "Ms. Jordan is the only reason we decided to take Calculus in high school. We had decided totally against it, and after long conversations with Ms. Jordan about college and our opportunities we decided to take Calculus." I am speechless....It is amazing to think that you can impact students lives so drastically with helping them pass Algebra 2 with Trig...to deciding to take a Calculus. They also said that we had several meaningful spiritual conversations...It just made my day more than I can express. I just am humbled by God using me in their lives. It makes the rough days seem worth every second.
My friend went on to say that he believes it was no coincidence that we worked together, that I taught these students, that he met these students, that they discussed me, that he is using these students to build a ministry, and that he would love for me to join him in the ministry. It is the work of God that these situations all intersected and it is totally amazing to see how God works through people and makes peoples paths purposefully cross. I am just honored and completely humbled that God chose me to impact these lives...Who am I?
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