Stunned, Michaela accepted the gentle (well, not-so-gentle) rebuke. She thought about how to “bring Me into your school” and decided to start a new routine. She arrived early at school the next day to walk the halls and touch lockers as she prayed for the students. Imagine her surprise when she found other faculty members doing the exact same thing! She had been so insulated, she hadn’t known there was a community of believers within the faculty. Her heart swelled as she stepped into the life and support they offered.
She also decided to actively invest in the school outside just academics. She started staying after hours to attend her students’ games to cheer them on. And theatre performances. And band concerts. Students started noticing that they were important to her, and it started making a difference in the classroom. Her heart swelled even more.
Suddenly, Michaela found herself wanting to take steps that had seemed burdensome before, like reaching out proactively to parents to say how much she enjoyed their children. Quite a few parents began communicating back and becoming involved in their kids’ education. She realized that these families were not uninterested; they simply needed hope. They would invest themselves wherever hope was to be found—and they now clearly saw her extending that hope to their children.
It didn’t take long for this previously low-energy, lackluster teaching job to start feeling positively life-giving to Michaela. The joy of the Lord swelled as she responded to God’s call. And He says the same thing to each of us: I put you there. Find the reason, and you will find joy where you are.
* Excerpts taken from Shaunti’s newest book, Find Joy: A Devotional Journey to Unshakable Wonder in an Uncertain World from iDisciple Publishing.
Are you currently reading Shaunti’s latest devotional, Find Joy? Please leave a book review on Amazon!
And check out her latest book (co-authored with her husband, Jeff), Thriving in Love and Money. Because you need a better relationship, not just a better budget.
Visit www.shaunti.com for more.
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