August. That was the last time we had a teacher workday. I've been feeling burned out all year, and from asking around, I'm not alone. Other teachers have mentioned losing sleep or crying because they're overwhelmed at work. One mentioned missing out on a family outing because she needed an hour by herself. We're massively burned out.
I have begun to pray every morning on my way to work. Tuesday morning, among other things, I prayed about feeling burned out and asking God for the perseverance to make it to October 31, when we get our first workday of the school year. After my prayer, I turned on the radio. I usually seek out a station playing music, but G105 (of all stations!) got my attention.
They were talking about teachers who really make a difference in their students lives. They talked about their favorite teachers, the ones who really stuck in their minds. These teachers were passionate about their subject and made them love politics or math, things they had never loved before. One dj who is a parent said that after just a short time at open house (usually about 10-15 minutes), he could tell which of his child's teachers cared about what they taught. I can't remember what all they talked about, but I can't begin to express how encouraged I felt!
I did not ask for encouragement. I asked for the ability to trudge through a few more weeks until I could breathe for a day. God, in His awesome sovereignty, heard what I wanted, but gave me exactly what I needed. Prayer does not always get answered immediately, but I'm oh so glad that God saw my need and warmed my heart that morning.
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