Ok, I know this sounds crazy to a lot of people, but I liked high
school.
This sounds even crazier, but I actually loved my senior year. Now of course
there has to be reasons for this "oddly good" experience, and I have
many reasons, but one of the main ones was this- my teachers.
The teachers my senior year (and throughout high school)
were...well, they were more than teachers to me. They were friends. They were
people who I could (and would) talk to about really anything. They cared about
more than grades (or the paper/project that I hadn't started yet), and I'm oh, so grateful for and blessed by
them.
You wanna know something cool? I'm still being blessed by them.
Throughout this past year I've been able to get coffee with one of
my favorite teachers from high school on pretty much every single break that I
have had from college besides maybe two of them. Tonight, I had another
crazy blessed time getting coffee with that same teacher. People, I'm telling
you, we sat in Panera for two hours just talking and laughing and
reflecting on the goodness of God throughout this past year...the past year
that I wasn't in his classroom...and he still cares, and still is involved in my life, speaking truth
and wisdom and the love of Jesus to me. Seriously, it was such a
blessing.
I guess you could say we "have" a booth at Panera. And
by that I mean that we've sat at the same booth every time we've had coffee.
This booth has seen it all, from tears of sadness to tears of incredible joy as
we laughed about something or another, this booth has seen it, and it’s been so
cool to see the transformation that has taken place in my life from the time I
sat down in that booth for the first time over fall break, to the time I sat
down in it tonight. Through my teacher, God has brought me so much comfort and encouragement through a hard transition to college. I'm
not gonna lie and say that I loved everything about my freshman year, because I
didn't. There were definitely times that I laughed, but there were definitely
times that I cried as well. I cried because I was scared, I was unsure of
myself, and to be quite honest, I definitely doubted if God had my best
interests in mind. In one of those times of doubt at “our” booth my teacher
showed me this:
"He who did not spare His own Son, but gave him up for us
all- how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?"
(Romans 8:32)
Ok, go back. Read it again.
You got it? I know when I first read it sitting in that booth in
Panera my mind was blown. Wait, you mean He didn't spare ANYTHING when it came
to loving us? That’s right. And now, how much more will he graciously give to
us when He gave up the thing that was most dear to Him? Crazy, I know (you
might want to read it again).
Throughout all the crazy good and hard times that this past year
brought, God was faithful. He was good, and I learned (and am still learning)
to trust Him and the plan He has for me. I fail at remembering this quite often
too. I think my way and my plans are better than God's, that I can handle this
on my own, and that of course I would know what is best for me...and to that
God says, as my teacher reminded me of tonight, "If what I think is good
isn't what God's best is for me, cancel my plans."
Seriously, such wisdom.
Guys, in case you didn’t pick up on what I’ve been talking about, I’ve
just gotta say, I’m one blessed girl to have such an incredible teacher.
