Contending for Childlikeness

Freedom. Yeah. Freedom. At last, the orders for the second batch of ICS shirts have ended. At last, I can once again experience freedom. *Whew*

Nakakapagod palang magturo. Translation: I didn’t know that teaching could be so tiring. My parents have been doing it for over 25 years and I don’t know how they managed to last that long. I’ve only been teaching for a little under three months and … well let’s just say that I’m not as cheerful as I was three months ago. It’s not that I suddenly realized that teaching’s not for me… It’s just that my stress levels have their limits and sometimes… well, there were times that certain instances have made my stress
levels go over those limits.

Good thing for 1 Corinthians 13. Love is patient, love is kind… God desires that His children should be filled with that love. Therefore, Mari is patient, Mari is kind. Laugh laugh laugh. Grace, Lord – grace…

My patience has been tested. My kindness has been tested. My love for the people has been tested. But right now, God is bringing me back to the very reason why I have decided to take up a career in teaching. I didn’t decide to teach because my mom and dad are teachers. I didn’t decide to teach because of any pressure from them. Nor did I desire to teach because there are no other job opportunities for me out there. I chose to teach because I wanted to make an impact on the lives of people, to leave a mark on their lives.

That’s why I’m contending for childlikeness. No, I don’t want to turn my classes into Sunday School sessions. But I just desire that childlikeness because, as a child, I want a childlike joy to be in my heart as I teach. I desire childlike tranquility. And childlike “teachability”. Because I want to learn from the Great Teacher Himself. I want to be able to teach as He taught and as He teaches.

Lord, let me be a child. Let me simply radiate the love of my Father. Create in me the fruits of the Holy Spirit – love, joy, kindness, goodness… and so on… and let me make a difference in the lives of my students. Let me live as a child. Lord, I contend for childlikeness.

Written at: ICS C-117