Ebb and flow....

Some things end....

New things begin...

Other things end...

That is pretty constant in our lives. The give and take. New experiences. Some tame, some exciting.

But all ever-changing.

Another year of teaching coming to a close. I did decide to stay another year, but things will never be the same....two students are leaving me behind, and one new student will come into my life (hopefully calmly) in September, ready to learn new things and have thrilling adventures with us in our hillside community.

I will miss my boys. One a duck and train lover, the other, one of those "easy students." never steps out of line, practically runs when I give direction. A sweetie.

But change isn't bad.

Yes, it can hurt.

But in another deep breath, I can certainly say that it's been a great adventure. All adventures must come to an end, otherwise, there would be no "adventures."

My next adventure: summer school.

I will inform you that stereotypically, the kids who attend summer school are often violent, aggressive, medically fragile, etc. My new prayers are for no missing teeth. And no lascerations. I'm not sure why, but those are the two I would NOT want to get the most.

I have no idea how many students I will work with over those two weeks, but I do know I will have two separate groups (I was offered tuesday-Thursday and Wednesday-Friday, so it's 4 days per week) and most students have one-on-one aides. That means: lots of needs. And since our policy typically revolves around only aggressive students getting one-on-one help, I'll let you put the pieces together.

It may be a bit touch and go, but I'm excited. The more I work with different kids, the more my views and practices are pushed, plied, and tweaked. It's a growing opportunity.

So I welcome the change. I still think of my past students, still remember their names, sometimes dream of them in the night and then wonder what they ares doing....is S throwing rocks at police cars?....is K okay?....is D going to make it at high school?....is A able to speak now?

Today at church we heard a great sermon about remembering the past.

Remembering how God was faithful in the past, trusting that He will again be faithful to you. He will allow you to return after sowing seeds with an armful of wheat, a new crop, a crop that wouldn't exist were it not for His faithfulness.

In the middle of a drought, we still must sow the seeds, trusting that God will bring the rain, sprout the seeds, grow the seeds, fertilize the seeds, protect the plants from pests, and wake you up when it's time for the harvest. ;). Maybe even buy you a shiny new Joe, spade and gloves.

No matter where we may be at the present time, we must remember how God was faithful in the past so that we may trust Him to perfectly oversee our futures.

Because when there is no sign of rain, it's easy to go inside and be distracted by the million other things the world is throwing at you.

Today I am thinking about God and His faithfulness: past, present, and future.

Now where is that scythe?