There is a sweet sadness to pruning. The sweetness comes with the fruit. The sadness comes with the knife. I've known both, but too often focused on the pain. His pruning knife finds me in two ways.
The first is in His Word, sharper than a two-edged sword. When the road to teaching was shadowed by uncertainty, He gave me Colossians 3:14, "And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony." His call to love took me to a classroom far from home.
The second way is in tragedy. When the storm came, the sandy places in my once-so-secure foundation finally began to erode. It was then that I realized that I had been built upon a Rock. I had never left the palm of His hand. Not even for a moment.
In the moment (and many moments afterward), the pain seems everlasting. This is true to our human nature, for we live with a natural fear of the pruning knife. After all, what does it promise? Surely it promises the removal of things, of people, of places we once held dear. Why else would it hurt? But surely it also promises renewal, life...beyond what we can see.
Daniel Crawford (1870-1926), a Scottish missionary to southern-central Africa, once said, "There is never a majestic mountain without a deep valley, and there is no birth without pain."
When we endure the pruning, our focus must be on the birth. Who are You making me to be? What fruit do You want to produce in me? Trust the vinedresser. It's for His glory & your good.
......
The Lord has called me to be a steward to 14 little branches this school year. I already recognize the deep love and care that He has for each one of them. Below are a few photos of my third grade classroom! Please pray that it would be a place of safety and joy for these students. Many come from hurting homes that need His grace. I can hardly wait to see what He has in store this year!
Welcome to Highlands Third Grade!
Since this picture was taken, the whiteboard has been moved down about 6 inches so that my kids can write on the board too! (Ok, it's also a better reach for me too.)
Inspired by a friend - the kids LOVE telling me what time it is!
We read a book about being Bucket-fillers for others through words & actions motivated by kindness. It makes a big difference helping them problem solve through issues with friends and classmates.
Yes, I have a tiny window. However, it has an incredible view into the neighborhood of Mallasilla and beyond to the Andes Mountains. So, I really can't complain.
They forgot one reason, so we added it. Biblical integration: check.
We loved meeting all of our Parts of Speech friends! Really. It was the highlight of our day. Gotta love these third graders!
I just adore these little notes, even when I don't completely understand them.
Our Daily 4 wall for Reading & Writing is practically full! Next stop, the ceiling!
Recess time:
While the boys were building sand fortresses on the slide and demolishing them by launching plastic toys from above...
...the girls were using their archaeological skills by uncovering lost dinosaur bones with paintbrushes and shovels.
The past few weeks have been quite cold, but warmer weather is on its way. Check out the snow on those mountains in the distance!
No comments:
Post a Comment