Teach Me

When I was a little girl among the list of things I wanted to be was a teacher.  I also wanted to be a fashion designer, race car driver, and psychiatrist, but those are for another day, another post!  Being a young married mom though, I opted for a quicker career track after high school.


While I didn't choose that path, God has blessed me throughout life with many teaching opportunities.  I started young, teaching vacation bible school while still a teenager.  In my previous job, one of the things I loved most was when I was training or teaching.  And in my former career at a local college, I covered a vacancy one semester and taught a freshman personal development course.  Loved that.

Through the years, I continued to volunteer through church teaching various Sunday school classes, Wednesday night groups, and VBS.  But it was always to children or those younger than me.  Up until this past weekend, I'd never taught an adult class.  The thought intimidated me, as I worried I didn't know enough.  My fear was that someone would ask a question I couldn't answer. 

But a week ago, I was asked to substitute my own Sunday school class.  My stomach flipped and all those worries returned.  Yet, sitting in class, God stirred me to respond yes.

It was a bit of a struggle this past week while preparing and studying for the class.  Was I on the right session?  What if I presented the wrong one? Doubts became so much that I texted two friends and even called someone ensuring I was on the correct week.   I read through the lesson and felt like I was reading Greek.  Nothing made sense the first time and I had no clue what to pull and share.  I'm certain that Satan wanted nothing more than for me to give up, change my mind, and not teach yesterday.  And that just made me want to dig in my heels and do it even more.

Prayerfully, I dusted myself off and set back to it.  God showed up with perfect timing, bringing out the parts he wanted me to focus on and highlighting scripture to read.  Though nerves tried to reappear, when I stepped up to teach, it all washed away.  It felt natural and I found joy in doing it.

Now, this is not an acceptance letter to a future proposal, should this make it to the hands of the Sunday school director, just admitting it was more enjoyable than expected.  All kidding aside, I know it is more than I can take on right now, even being temporarily "retired" but it was fun to put on my teacher's hat if only as a sub. 

In this season of figuring out where God wants to be, keeping an open mind and being brave to try new things is how I need to respond.  Every experience is a lesson if we're willing to be taught.