My Babies!

One of my Favs (there are lots of favs!!!)

Being a teacher sucks sometimes.

Don't get me wrong, there is so much of it that I LOVE!

I love being able to teach a subject that scares many people. I love that moment when kids get it finally and have that break through. I love telling stupid jokes and having kids hanging on my every word. I love days in class when I can be goofy and throw candy and yell "PARADE!"

I love being able to invest in kids lives. I love hearing their stories and "solving" their problems. I love offering them advice and what I hope is wisdom from things I have learned and gone through in my own life.

I love that I can just show them Christ's love in the way I act and the things I do. I hope and pray everyday that they will come to understand my love of the Lord but more importantly how much God loves them.

Tonight was Senior night at the girl's volleyball game and one of the girls thanked me specifically in her speech for supporting her and her team in their sport and in their lives. I love that. Another parent thanked me tonight be being there for her daughter. For supporting her and encouraging her. I love that. I love that I can be there for these kids. They are my babies. And I love them.

But sometimes it sucks.

I am single and have no children obviously. It is a desire of my heart to one day meet a man after God's own heart and that we will have a family and I pray and look forward to that day, but right now, in this stage of my life, these are my babies. As much as it sucks to be single sometimes, I am beyond blessed to have the time and the energy to devote my attention to my 100+ babies.

And when my babies hurt, I hurt. I see their sadness and I just want it all to go away. When my babies make really, really BAD decisions, it breaks my heart a little. No, actually, it breaks my heart A LOT! I am not a mom (even though I desperately want to be) but I imagine this is what it feels like to see your children hurting. It is NOT a good feeling. And then I am reminded that this is what God feels like when he sees us, His children, hurting and making bad decisions that cause us pain. It is a painful, awful feeling that I do not wish on my worst enemy.

Tonight my heart is full and happy. I am thankful for my kids and for what God is doing in their lives. But I am also sad. And I my heart breaks a little for the kids who fall short. And as much as I want to be mad or pass judgement or whatever feelings creep into my mind, I am reminded that my babies are precious to the KING OF KINGS. His plans for them are GREAT! I love that I can be a part of those plans and I look forward to the day when they come to completion.

Being a teacher is great, but sometimes it sucks.

 (DISCLAIMER: this photo has nothing to do with the sucky sad stuff I just wrote about. This is just one of my seniors whom I love)