COURAGE AND CHANGE AS A PLANTED TREE
November 16, 2021
Prayer: Lord, Thank You for planting us by Your stream with other Christian teachers. Amen
Scripture: He [She] shall be like a tree planted by rivers of water that brings forth fruit in its season, whose leaf shall not wither; and whatever he [she] does will prosper. Psalm 1:3 NKJV
Janice is a public school first grade teacher with thirty years of experience. The first ten years Janice taught, before she fully committed her professional life to Jesus Christ, she thought she could follow Jesus by herself through her career in public education and its many constant changes. She found herself being wrenched in one professional direction and then another. She felt like her feet were on constantly shifting sand. She would put her trust in a principal, co-worker, or program, and the next minute they were all gone in another crashing wave of educational politics, financing, school zoning changes, or the slick marketeering of the newest educational guru.
When Janice finally surrendered fully to Jesus and understood she needed to join with other Christian educators to complete her walk with Him, she finally felt grounded. She began to meet with coworkers for prayer. She began to read daily and weekly devotions that taught her how to integrate her faith without violating laws. She joined CEAI and began to attend several events each year. She became like a tree planted by a river which bears its fruit each season.
Secular change still comes in Janice’s career, sometimes in the form of storms. Janice’s branches and leaves still sway in the wind and some are even torn off, but her roots and her focus, her faith in the God who brought her into this profession, are constant and keep her grounded. They keep her bearing fruit and even allow her to prosper in an often difficult and challenging environment.
Reflection: What do I do to stay grounded in my faith? What does God want me to do? Am I doing it?
Copyright Don Clark. To connect with the author, email [email protected]
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So true! Amen!