You may find it crazy that two little sticks of gum are a strong enough encouragement to counter the overwhelming storms of this week. But the power of a kind word or deed is often surprising. This week has been a tough one for me (and it’s only Tuesday!), and I don’t know that I can even put it into words. One after another, little by little, things have been chipping away at my confidence and overwhelming me to the point that I am discouraged.

I did not have much courage when I went to school today. I felt drained and weary before the school day had even begun. When the principal asked me how I was, I almost started crying. But God provides little blessings, even on the most discouraging days. And little by little, these blessings provide enough encouragement to keep us going. Today I was dreading the 8th grade class. Their disrespect towards me and each other had reached its height yesterday, and today I knew I had to tighten up the rules (yet again).

Often times the things we worry about seem so much worse before they actually happen. Teaching 7th and 6th grade proved to be the perfect “distraction” for my mind to lift my spirits before I had to deal with the 8th graders. In both classes, I completely lost track of time—the students worked so well today and got a lot accomplished on their bridge building designs and preparation. Right before the 7th graders left, one student handed me a piece of gum as she passed some out to her other friends. So I stuck it in my pocket.

The principal came to observe me during the 6th grade class, and the 6th graders were so focused and had such good attitudes about adjusting their bridge designs to fit the requirements and the amount of wood they were given. Once again, I lost track of time and we had to quickly clean up before the bell rang. On her way out, one of the 6th graders also handed me a piece of gum as she passed a piece out to each student in the class. Again, I stuck it in my pocket.

The 8th graders responded much better to my discipline than I had imagined and were actually quite well-behaved. During their work-time, they were fairly focused and responsible with the tasks they needed to get done. Because they are all working at their own pace on this project, class is crazy for me—cutting wood that one group of students had measured while helping another student with the Pythagorean Theorem to help him get his drawn measurements right…

When the bell rang and all the students left the room, I took a deep breath, thankful that class was not as bad as I had imagined it would be. And when I stuck my hand in my pocket later to discover the two pieces of gum I had been given, I was reminded of the little blessings that were sprinkled throughout my afternoon. Though the little things don’t change the big problems of the world, they do have the power to bring a smile to my lips.

“Sing to the LORD with thanksgiving; make melody to our God on the lyre!
He covers the heavens with clouds;
He prepares rain for the earth;
He makes grass grow on the hills.
He gives to the beasts their food, and to the young ravens that cry.
His delight is not in the strength of the horse,
nor His pleasure in the legs of a man,
but the LORD takes pleasure in those who fear Him,
in those who hope in his steadfast love.”
~Psalm 147:7-11

A new perspective on the character of God -
He delights in our dependence on Him!

“So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, ‘Lord, save me.’ Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, ‘O you of little faith, why did you doubt?’” Matthew 14:29-31

We all have our fears – the wind and the waves that draw our attention away from Jesus. When we focus on our fears, we are unstable and will sink. Instead, we must fix our eyes on the Lord of our fears. This does not mean that we ignore our fears; they are there, but we must remember who Jesus is.

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Hebrews 13:8

“For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God.” Psalm 62:5-7

When the focus is on the Lord, our fears are stilled, for He is our rock and refuge. Trusting in Him gives us strength and confidence.

One thing I have desired in a teaching job is rest. What I mean is that in seeking a teaching job I wanted to find a place to call my own, a school to call my own, a class to call my own. In a sense, I wanted a “dwelling place,” somewhere to spend my time where I fit in and felt comfortable. While reading Psalm 132 tonight, it stood out to me that the LORD has made us His resting place, His own.

“For the LORD has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His dwelling place: This is My resting place forever; here I will dwell, for I have desired it. I will abundantly bless her provisions; I will satisfy her poor with bread. Her priests I will clothe with salvation, and her saints will shout for joy.” (vs.13-16)

Seeking a permanent dwelling place of any kind here on earth would be a search in vain because nothing on earth is permanent. But to think that the LORD has chosen to dwell in us forever is such a contrast, for things with the LORD are permanent! Just as I enjoy investing myself in the group of students the Lord has given me to teach, He fully invests Himself in our lives, blessing us abundantly, satisfying our hearts, and clothing us with His salvation. With such security, what other response could we have except shouts of joy?