Two of My Favorite Students!
Last week at our school open house I was talking to a handful of potential parents about our service program and theology classes when one of my students patted me on my back and said, “Ms. HD does more than teach about service and theology! When I was a junior I was not where I should have been with God in my life. You see those books on the shelf over there? Those are journals she bought for her students. Every day we wrote about God and our lives. She took us to the chapel and we meditated and tried to listen to God. She had us pray but not in some boring, difficult way but in fun, creative ways. We prayed every day. Ms. HD helped me to get to know myself and God better! You want her to teach you!” Through this entire unrehearsed speech, I could not take my eyes off of her. I was in complete awe, not because she was saying such kind things about my teaching but that she was so passionate about the need she had to know God better. She knows God better. She is closer to God, not because of me but because I allowed God to use me as an instrument to bring people closer to him. I stood there almost in tears. All I could do was hug her and silently thank God.
This is the witnessing of faith stages shifting, this is a lived vocation, this is a Christian maturing in her faith. And I was privileged to not only be a part of planting the seeds but actually seeing them grow and blossom. If not for the grace of God I could do nothing! I thank God that he guides me in all ways especially maturing in my faith and living my vocation daily. I pray that one day I can move into that realm when I am so connected to God that my students no longer see me but only the reflection of God in my place.
