I've reentered the formal classroom and it is wonderful! I knew it would be. I am a teacher to my very core. It is the greatest gift God gave me.
I spent more than a decade teaching adults in informal settings. It was rewarding and I loved every minute of learning and teaching. But, it was time for a change. Time for a professional and personal change.
I felt called to something more. Of course, I didn't recognize the call, only really recognizing it in retrospect.
As I look back, I can see God prepared me for the change little by little. He knew I wasn't going to like it if he ripped off the bandaid quickly. Life was too comfortable.
Little by little he changed everything around me to change what was inside me. He changed the people I worked with. He changed my responsibilities. He put new challenges in front of me so I gained new skills and insights I would need for the upcoming change.
His work was everywhere despite being unable to discern it at the moment. You know the feeling. It was knowing something is happening but it was just out of reach for understanding. All the puzzle pieces were on the table, I just wasn't able to put them all together to reveal the picture.
I know now I had to learn to trust God and his work, not my own efforts.
Not easy for an independent, mature, get-it-done kinda gal like myself. I'd like to give you the impression I serenely accepted all the challenges and patiently waited for His plan to unfold. It would be a lie.
Honestly, I'm my own worst enemy. Sometimes, I spend hours debating with myself, seeking coaching from my trusted advisors, and saying things like, "It'd sure be easier if God would just tell me what's going on and what he wants me to do."
As I age, I hope to embrace Isaiah 45:2 "I will go before you and level the mountains; bronze doors I will shatter, iron bars I will snap." It will make life simpler.
I'm just glad I finally got out of His way and let Him write my story right back into the classroom.
The picture is from a lab demonstration of the ancient art of Gyotaku, aka Japanese fish painting. The students loved it as a way to reinforce fish anatomy in an aquaculture class. It's one of my favorite animal science labs. Who says aggies aren't artsy? The students framed their work.
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