The Beauty of Teaching

I could list one hundred reasons why I love teaching, but today I am reminded of at least twelve. Today is the last day of school, and as I walked through the halls of Strong Rock, I saw teachers smiling, students laughing, and parents taking pictures. It was a great celebration! Around 11:30, one of my favorite students ran into the room and threw his arms around me. "You are my favorite teacher," he said. I can live for a whole year on that compliment.

After six years as an educator, these are my top twelve reasons to teach:

1. Where else do you hear the words, "I love you" so often?

2. If you have a bad day, someone might draw you a picture of your dog, and even though the dog looks like an angry dragon, it's a masterpiece.

3. Six year olds explain new features of my laptop.

4. Starbucks Giftcards, oh yeah!

5. If I get a new haircut, everyone notices. They might say, "You look beautiful," or "You look weird today, Mrs. Osburne," but at least they notice.

6. Fall Break

7. Winter Break

8. Spring Break

9. Summer, of course!

10. It is surreal to hear a second grader repeat your words.

11. I love working with adults who spend extra time, money, prayers, and effort to see a child succeed.

12. It's a privilege to be a small part of the plan God has for each child in your classroom.

If you have ever taught, what did you love about it? What do you remember about your teachers?

Hope Remembered

I am happy to report that I am adding a word back into my vocabulary. It snuck out for a while, but it somehow found it's way back home in my heart.

Hope.

When it comes to having a baby, I have tried not to be too hopeful. The greater the hope, the greater potential I have for let down. The last time I allowed hope to run wild in my heart was in November, when Clay and I had an IUI. I just knew I was pregnant. I swore I felt morning sickness and craved pickles, but apparently, I just like pickles and happen to be a grump before 9:00 AM because the test came back negative.

Since then, I have been somewhat guarded.

So last week, I had surgery to check for endometriosis. And guess what? I had it! Praise the Lord! I have never been more excited to hear that something was wrong with me. It was almost as exciting as hearing that my teeth were messed up enough for the orthodontist to recommend braces.

I told my dear friend Carolyn last night that I feel hopeful again. But after I hung up the phone, I wanted to retract my statement. Should I feel hopeful ONLY because the doctor found endometriosis? If that is the case, where am I placing all of my trust? In the hands of doctors? Of mere human beings? They are not the source of my optimism.

Psalm 20:7 reads, "Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God." If I get pregant soon, it is because God has ordained this time for it - not because I finally realized that the reason I have horrible cramps is because I have had endometriosis. And if we don't get pregnant immediately, I will not lose hope. Because God hasn't snuck out the back door of my heart. He is always there.

So I always have Hope.

Surgery on Mother's Day Weekend

Have you ever HOPED you were sick? PRAYED for an illness?

I have been doing that lately. I am hoping that I have endometriosis. It just makes sense (that is what I've been telling God - I'm sure He's laughing). If everything else - like my eggs, hormones, and tubes are okay, then the only possible answer my infertility must be that I have endometriosis.

Okay, that's not exactly true. Here are other possible explanations:

- God has been teaching me patience, developing my character, and drawing me closer to Him.

... OR, maybe I picked up some weird germ when we lived in Spain... this is also the reason why I still can't seem to do the Cupid Shuffle.

- More likely, God has a plan for my life, and He is still weaving all the threads together to make a tapestry that only He can see.

.... OR, maybe I shouldn't have fed my broccoli to the dog as a kid. I missed out on some very important antioxidants when I skipped the veggies and headed straight for dessert.

- I think it's probably that God is working all things for my good, even when I don't understand it.

....Or, maybe the radiation from all my electronics has finally reached a tipping point.

- I am pretty sure that God is still in control, that He is blessing me beyond comprehension, that He has chosen the perfect family for me, including my beautiful Mother, precious Father, talented brother, wise husband, sweet dog, and all the friends who bless my life on a daily basis.

... Or maybe I do have endometriosis, and by having it cleared out, all my problems will be solved.

That's probably it.