You know, I was starting to worry I'd lost my words again because it's been a few weeks since I've had the inspiration for a blog. Thankfully over the last week or so, some ideas have come together, although I didn't realize they would be blog-worthy until just this morning. A few things came together for me as I sat here in the humidity on the porch with God.
I'd been mulling over the message by David Gibbons two Sundays ago. I've listened to the podcast a few times, and the funny thing is that the one scripture that continues to pop out at me wasn't even really a large part of his message. The verse, however, pops out at me EVERY time someone uses it, and I guess it's high time I address how this scripture impacts me as a person and a teacher.
The verse is Proverbs 22:6. Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it. I love this scripture because I feel like it's telling us as parents that if we can give our children a basic foundation of self-love, that self-love will follow our children for the rest of their lives. But what does this look like? How do we achieve this? How do we honor what God has asked us to do?
Interestingly as well, I've been patiently waiting on the Lord to also add to his calling to me. As some of you know, I have been given clear instructions to serve in some capacity. I've always been a teacher, and some would consider this an act of service, but for some reason I feel like my duty goes much further than simply helping a child learn how to read, write, or play piano. I feel like my own journey since September needs to be woven into my service.
And yesterday another scripture spoke to me. Matthew 22:39 states You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
Well, with all of the unrest in the country and our world, I started to wonder about this scripture. In my own utopia, if we all loved our neighbors as we loved ourselves, we would live in peace, right? Except for one small problem. I have spoken to enough people over the last eleven months to understand that there are a great many people who are unhappy with themselves and who practice self-loathing on a daily basis - me included! I follow Christ and his teachings of peace and love, and yet I cannot even love myself fully and unconditionally enough to be able to love my neighbor in any capacity worthy of bringing world peace. Oh boy.
And then God spoke.
Heather, he said. Look at all you have done over the last five years! Look at all of the research you've done about human beings, brains, intrinsic motivation, the way people learn, and your own walk with Me.You have become this amazing teacher of self-love, and although you're still working on you, your act of service - your help in guiding others in their own self-exploration - will allow you to continue to grow. Do it.
Do it? That's it, God? Do it? Um, okay. So if I'm hearing correctly, you're basically telling me that my call to serve should be directed at teaching others self-love?
And that's it, folks. God said Yes, and now I wait patiently for his next steps. I started my learning consulting company COREChild in November of 2014 with the full intention of helping parents do just that - allow their children to learn enough about themselves to appreciate their strengths and use them to reach their potential, but today I take a slightly different route. I feel like my duty as a mother, teacher, consultant, and friend is to use what I know about the way humans operate and guide those who are placed in my path to becoming what God has intended them to become. And that's what I shall do.
Namaste.
No comments:
Post a Comment