Rubbing Off

Every couple of weeks I assessed the reading abilities of my Kindergarteners. I called individuals to my desk and had each one read a set of five words with various special sounds we have been learning. Towards the end of the year, I called a student to my desk and as he came near he shook his head and half-whispered, “I just really don’t want to do this.”

I looked at him, frowning to hide my amusement, and asked, “Hmm, is that a good attitude?”

His eyes widened and he responded right away, “No—that was the Old Me. The New Me doesn’t complain.” And he went on to read all five words.

I was astonished at his response. Sure, our memory verse for the week had been 2 Corinthians 5:17. And sure, I had been teaching them about the Old Self and the New Self, and about how Christians can only live the New Self through Jesus. But I had not believed they were actually picking up on it. It’s amazing what happens, what the kids pick up on, when they listen. And, sometimes more amazing, they listen a lot more often than I realize. And things were catching on.

The question is, what else is rubbing off on them?

I Had Set Myself Up.

I had been recognizing some snippy responses and selfish attitudes in myself, and I was ready to be done with them, so I prescribed myself more verses to meditate on, more time alone with God, more passages to study.

I couldn't have set myself up better for the next day's devotional reading if I had tried.
Oswald Chambers' My Utmost for His Highest says:

"Can a sinner be turned into a saint? Can a twisted life be made right? There is only one appropriate answer-- "O Lord God, You know" (Ezekiel 37:3). Never forge ahead with your religious common sense and say, "Oh, yes, with just a little more Bible reading, devotional time, and prayer, I see how it can be done. 

It is much easier to do something than to trust in God...We would much rather work for God than believe in Him. Do I really believe that God will do in me what I cannot do?"

I have gotten caught up with my actions rather than staying focused on my relationship with God. The next day's reading said:

"Are you obsessed by something? You will probably say, "No, by nothing," but all of us are obsessed by something-- usually by ourselves, or, if we are Christians, by our own experience of the Christian life. But the psalmist says that we are to be obsessed by God. The abiding awareness of the Christian life is to be God Himself, not just thoughts about Him. The total being of our life inside and out is to be absolutely obsessed by the presence of God."

Being obsessed by thoughts about God doesn't seem to be that different than being obsessed by God himself, but that is why it is more dangerous. Either way, we are doing a lot of the same things, but the intentions-- the heart-- are different. And God looks at the heart.

Books that Accompanied me through May

The Problem of Pain by C. S. Lewis
academic and philosophical. It had never before occurred to me to think half of those thoughts. Having thought through some of them, now, I feel more comfortable with C. S.'s conclusions, though they still feel beyond me.

A Grief Observed by C. S. Lewis
a small book brimming with emotion and imagery and beautiful language. A book of true, bitter mourning and loss. It leaves me feeling both full and empty.

The 5-minute Plantar Fasciitis Solution by Jim Johnson
helpful and effective. The 5 minutes of stretching are explained in only two pages, near the middle of the book, but having read the rest of it as well I understand plantar fasciitis better than I did before, and am hopeful for improvement. The long-term effectiveness of the stretch I do not yet know, but short-term it does seem to be providing relief- especially first thing in the morning.

You'll Get Through This by Max Lucado
Lucado's mantra through his book is his title, drawn from the principles in the account of Joseph as well as many modern stories of pain and suffering. Not only, Lucado says, will you get through this present struggle, Christians can expect to come out stronger and more prepared.

Confessions of a Prayer Slacker by Diane Moody
Moody's style left me feeling comfortable. She wrote about her prayer journey with lessons applicable to all. Overall: get up early and pray and read your Bible as if Jesus is sitting right next to you. Make a commitment and actually meet with God every morning. And don't succumb to guilt about the occasional missed day. (author unrelated to D. L. Moody)


This month, I started a book called Walking with God through Pain and Suffering by Timothy Keller, but I could not get into it much less finish it. I have returned it to the library.

I also started:
the Simply the Story Handbook
Tea with Emma by Diane Moody
Brisinger by Christopher Paolini
Where is God When it Hurts? by Philip Yancy

Shipwrecked and Cared For

Do you remember the story of Paul, traveling to Rome as a prisoner? They are well on their way when a storm blew in and wreaked havoc. The sailors had no control over the direction they were heading since the winds and waves were so strong. They tried to tie the boat together, and to lighten it by throwing cargo overboard. Days went by. And then, they "finally gave up all hope of being saved."

After a long day on my feet, with my plantar fasciitis acting up, I, too, give up all hope of being saved.

Selfish Bird Feeding

Earlier this Spring, I bought birdseed and filled the little bird feeder by the window. I sat there, watching the many finches and cardinals come by for a meal. They hopped and chirruped, shaking their little winds and defending their portion of the seed. I sat there a long time, taking it all in.

The feeder started to look empty, and I decided I would fill it -- in the morning.

God Goes Green

Some of my Kinders could really care less about saving paper or going green. They toss used papers and scraps right into the trash without a second thought.

Other students, however, are crazy about recycling. No matter how small the shreds of paper are, they eagerly deposit them into our recycling box.

The Thunderstorms Bring Spring

The earth trembles and the sky shatters. The thunder falls with a crack so packed with power it is felt in walls and floors and ground. The lightening splits and careens with the electricity of life and the speed to illuminate the world.

The rolling tremors wake the trees. Starting in their very roots, shaking the heavy sleepers. Groggy and chilled and wanting to stay tucked in their moss blankets until summer, they finally stir and put out buds.

The Old and New Covenants: Kindergarten Style

We have three rules in Kindergarten, and the day would run so marvelously smoothly if they were simply obeyed at all times. I imagine God feels the same way. He urges us to follow his laws for our lives, knowing it is better for us if we do. 

But the Kinders, like the rest of us humans, have a hard time obeying. It's not that we are ignorant, or even openly defiant, yet we struggle so deeply with obeying to the fullest extent, obeying from the heart.