Yes, His kingdom is like this. :) Read on...My class enjoyed some yummy popsicles and were amazed to see their tongues changing colors. I told them we'd take a silly picture of them sticking their tongues out at me. Ummm.... :) I'm a goofy teacher, but we had fun and believe me, I needed it!
The past two days have not been good for me. I won't record the details because they aren't important for me to remember someday if I look back at this journal entry. It will suffice to say that people can be hurtful, sometimes very much so. I left school today during the middle of the day for about an hour and fell apart after two days of mean and hurtful things; I am exhausted and sick and just came to the end of my rope for this week. I just got on the interstate and drove and cried and prayed and ended up calling my momma before I pulled myself together and went back to work.I was all prepared to sit down and write it all out, to spill my guts here, but then I've had time to think about it and what I really want to remember is that once again, in the midst of frustration and hurt, God used my little ones to love me and to teach me.
I don't like pictures of me, but I love the kid in this picture, Kevin, my hugger!
Several times over the past couple days Kevin kept coming up to me in the middle of centers, on the playground, at lunch, throughout the day at various times and just bear hugging me for no apparent reason, whispering to me, "I love you." (I need to tape his voice as there are no words that can describe Kevin's voice to you; I absolutely adore it when he talks- it is just simply precious!) Kevin gives the best, biggest, longest, most heartfelt hugs I've ever had. Then Abbie, who likes me I know but doesn't normally give me hugs and such, just came up to me yesterday and today to hug me several times, again just out of the blue for no obvious reason that I'm aware of. Matthew, who has very slowly warmed up to me, brought me a handful of flowers and spent his whole recess today picking me flowers along with Jiquan and posing for my camera.
Matthew's gift to me today- a handful of flowers and silly faces- God used this little boy to make me smile and laugh at the end of this stressful week.
It made me think a lot about the scriptures where Jesus talked about children and the kingdom of heaven. This is what God loves about children. Though they certainly can be mean- I've seen it plenty of times- they have an ability to love people despite their faults that adults sometimes lose. My kids don't see me as a fat lady, an ugly lady, or any of the other things I've heard in public or even say about myself. My children love me for the person I am inside, the person they see, the real me. Just like my heavenly Father. Azka told me this week, "You're beautiful." Timera said, "You pretty." Maybe God was speaking through them too.
Whatever the case may be, I know God used my children to speak to me in a difficult time and to give me back some of the love I've given away to them. I needed it Lord, it was a "rainy day" for me on the inside, and though you didn't take away the rain, you sent a ray of your light into my little storm to make a beautiful rainbow in my day. I thank you for that. And though I can't give you back much, I offer you whatever I have that I can do or say. And I share these photos as my testament of the love You sent me today on a bad day.
