A Living Contradiction

I am the new third grade teacher at Walker Gamble Elementary...starting in August! 

Wow!! …never thought I would read that and it be about me! For those who know me I always said I would never teach third grade AND for those who follow my blog it was only a few months ago I quit my teaching career to pursue full time missions…so here I am.. a living contradiction! Let me explain why this excites me!

Coming home from Africa I was completely bewildered…my thoughts were: “Lord you sent me all the way to Africa to tell me to go home and spread your love…really?!?!” My idea of mission work was completely demolished, I came to realize my ministry is wherever I am. Whether in be in a classroom, at home with friends, in Africa, in Ukraine or any other place He sends me. That’s what I didn’t realize…I am called to spread his love to all nations and build His family right here…wherever here is! 

So after Africa I went to Ukraine and you can read the other post and get the jist on that experience, but in a nutshell He once again confirmed, "yes I’m calling you to be home and to learn to love and create a family unit, to create Koinonia and it happens wherever you are". So as soon as I arrived home from Ukraine an amazing job found me…. that’s right it found me,  I was sitting on my couch and I received a call from a principal asking if I wanted part time work for the remainder of the school year..heck yes! And it was the most amazing experience. I worked part time as an assistant in all 5 third grade classrooms at WGE. I worked alongside the teachers and worked individually with most of the students and my heart towards third grade was completely changed. In all honesty, third graders intimidated me J I loved my baby kindergarteners so how in the world could I handle these budding pre teens?  But Papa knew they would captivate my heart, and the teacher and administrators treated me like one of them. I felt like I was home and I was so overwhelmed and honored that He allowed me to be apart of something so special. And He didn’t stop there.... another open door came TO ME and I had the opportunity and still am working alongside some amazing ladies at a boutique in my home town and they took me with NO retail experience and worked with me and taught me the ropes of retail and it has been an amazing experience and I sit here and type all this out my eyes are filling up thinking how good Papa is. I couldn’t have asked for a better job much less two amazing jobs! 

This last season has been such a learning experience and my heart overflows with gratefulness because I don’t deserve to have this much fun and feel so loved at WORK! Work was always a trap for me. Something that caused stress and kept me from traveling but in reality I was my own trap. My mind had trapped me into thinking that what I was doing wasn’t ministry, that my work was just work and I was compartmentalizing myself. I was a teacher, then I was a missionary, a friend, a sister, I had myself thinking I could never be all me, all the time. I never realized home and love are who I am…it’s where I abide. I believed so many lies and really allowed myself to forget my passion for teaching, I grew to despise it. However this last job at WGE reminded me why I went thru four grueling years of college and it reminded me of all the times I would sit in my room when I was 8 years old and teach my stuffed animals about math and teach my dog how to read. I allowed myself to forget those things and in these last few months Papa brought it all back. 

So as I am learning what it looks like to actually live a full life where I can work and have joy, peace, and love and feel at home, not trapped, an opportunity…a very rare opportunity opens up in the third grade at WGE. It is rare for teachers to leave this particular district because it is so tight-knit and truly feels like family and it just so happened (all apart of His plan) one of the third grade teachers was leaving so I applied, not thinking I had the job because I know there are so many other qualified teachers waiting to be interviewed and honestly I didn’t think I deserved it. However…my thoughts are not His thoughts and His ways are SOOOO much bigger and higher than mine…so I applied, I interviewed and two days ago I received the call saying I got the job! Tears ran down my face because this has been Papa’s plan all along. Every step of going to Africa, Ukraine, the part time work all to bring me to this point where I’m home. This is home, this is destiny, this is exactly where He wants me and I can live and enjoy this season with peace and joy! I am amazed at Papa’s goodness….and so excited about this next step. I want to steward it well, I want to be the very best teacher to my beautiful third graders. I want to share the love He’s poured out on me and be home to the children He entrusts me with. And missions is where I am…. whether in a classroom or a third world country. That doesn’t change my heart and passion it only fuels it. So here I am running into my next chapter…. with excitement…. I’m home!