![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/1435\/2021\/10\/pexels-rizknas-5146315-300x200.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Here comes Friday.<\/p>\n
With all it\u2019s going to bring.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m sure new mercies are part of it.<\/p>\n
Yes, God?<\/p>\n
Because I\u2019m gonna need them.<\/p>\n
I wrote a post about God being in the schools yesterday.<\/p>\n
Then proceeded to walk into our school with my held high.<\/p>\n
Well, that is, until a couple of young ladies told me they wished they had the sub from the day before.<\/p>\n
Wait, what?<\/p>\n
I\u2019m the favorite sub.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m the nice one.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was so chill\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was so cool\u201d.<\/p>\n
And I took a deep breath.<\/p>\n
I had been telling their class they needed to put their phones away.<\/p>\n
Simple, right?<\/p>\n
Not a huge request.<\/p>\n
Except in this day and age?<\/p>\n
I\u2019m thinking they are kind of addicted.<\/p>\n
I am too.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s hard to not check my phone.<\/p>\n
There is a whole world is going on out there.<\/p>\n
And it is all at our fingertips.<\/p>\n
You really want me to put it away?<\/p>\n
You want me to put the whole world away?<\/p>\n
It\u2019s way more interesting than what\u2019s going on in the classroom.<\/p>\n
I get it.<\/p>\n
When I was their age, I would just look out the window.<\/p>\n
Still not listening to my teacher.<\/p>\n
Daydreaming about the world out there.<\/p>\n
Always thinking about what was happening elsewhere.<\/p>\n
Maybe conjuring up what would happen later that day.<\/p>\n
After this.<\/p>\n
Because the moment I was in just wasn\u2019t good enough.<\/p>\n
Today\u2019s classroom window is the phone.<\/p>\n
Not at all picking on these kiddos.<\/p>\n
I think we adults are just as guilty.<\/p>\n
Spending our moments planning the next.<\/p>\n
So many of my moments these days are taken up by worry.<\/p>\n
\u00a0Tiny anxious thoughts that enter into my brain when I\u2019m not looking.<\/p>\n
Creeping in.<\/p>\n
Then blowing up in my mind.<\/p>\n
Becoming catastrophic.<\/p>\n
These kids hate me.<\/p>\n
They think I\u2019m stupid.<\/p>\n
I must not be cool anymore.<\/p>\n
Haha\u2026 like I was ever \u201ccool\u201d.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m sunk.<\/p>\n
I hate this job.<\/p>\n
I wanna quit.<\/p>\n
No, like right now.<\/p>\n
Just forget everything I said about wanting these kids to know they are loved.<\/p>\n
They can\u2019t look up from their dang phones for long enough for me to even tell them.<\/p>\n
So I grab my phone and text Kevin to tell him I\u2019m so done.<\/p>\n
Oh, the irony.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m mad at these people for being on their phones so I pick up mine.<\/p>\n
Deep breath.<\/p>\n
Now is not the time to bail.<\/p>\n
I kinda wanna bail.<\/p>\n
Lean in.<\/p>\n
Put your phone down, Karen.<\/p>\n
Put your phone down and look up.<\/p>\n
Look up at this classroom.<\/p>\n
Look around at these young people.<\/p>\n
Walk through the aisles of their desks.<\/p>\n
Let them know you see them.<\/p>\n
Not in a condescending way.<\/p>\n
In a Jesus way.<\/p>\n
Seeing past their behavior.<\/p>\n
Look right to their needs.<\/p>\n
What do they need today?<\/p>\n
Ugh.<\/p>\n
They need way more than I can give them.<\/p>\n
I need way more than any one person can give me.<\/p>\n
But, there is a God who sees them.<\/p>\n
Each one of them.<\/p>\n
Knows their needs and loves them right where they are.<\/p>\n
And for some reason?<\/p>\n
Put me in their classroom today.<\/p>\n
And in their hallway.<\/p>\n
And in every circumstance that I will walk into today.<\/p>\n
Deep breath.<\/p>\n
As I sit in my bed before the sun rises.<\/p>\n
Grateful for this moment.<\/p>\n
Someone remind me to breathe today.<\/p>\n
To look up.<\/p>\n
To lean in.<\/p>\n
Give this Friday a chance.<\/p>\n
These are what the new mercies are made of.<\/p>\n
Another day to engage.<\/p>\n
A fresh perspective.<\/p>\n
A new start.<\/p>\n
The sun is rising and it\u2019s time for me to get ready.<\/p>\n
Another deep breath.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s go have a day.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Karen R Shock resides in Fort Wayne, IN with her husband and their youngest son. She had three more children who are married and four beautiful grandchildren. Oh, and a dog name JT Barrett (Go Bucks). She is a retired homeschool mom and is now a high school teacher and cheer coach. Life is hard, but fun.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \n<\/p><\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Here comes Friday. With all it\u2019s going to bring. I\u2019m sure new mercies are part of it. Yes, God? Because I\u2019m gonna need them. I wrote a post about God being in the schools yesterday. Then proceeded to walk into our school with my held high. Well, that is, until a couple of young ladies […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4582,"featured_media":569,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,29],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-565","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mental-health","category-prayer"],"yoast_head":"\n