MAELSTROMS AND MATURITY
November 12, 2020
Prayer: Dear Jesus, thank you that you are master over the storms in my professional life. Help me to look to You when I am feeling overwhelmed.
Scripture: Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” James 1:4
Sylvia is a reading facilitator at a nationally recognized Blue Ribbon, primarily Hispanic inner city school. Her days are filled with co-teaching in several primary grades and serving dyslexic and struggling readers individually and in small groups at all grade levels (K-5) throughout the day. She serves around 70 to 90 different children each week with a schedule changes weekly as students are added and removed from her roster and amidst the many required tests that are taken at all the different grade levels at different times.
The phrase “academic maelstrom” most accurately describes Sylvia’s teaching position. A maelstrom is defined as “a powerful often violent whirlpool sucking in objects within a given radius.” What is amazing is that Sylvia sails happily along in this whirlpool and does not get sucked down into negativity or discouragement. She loves her job and can’t wait to start each day. She has even chosen to start her day tutoring thirty minutes before school starts and ends it tutoring an hour after school several days a week so she can work with even more children.
One of the indestructible sails on Sylvia’s professional ship is the Bible verse James 1:2-4, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, [fellow educators] whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” Sylvia believes and knows the challenge of her profession is helping bring her to spiritual and professional maturity.
Are you in a professional maelstrom right now? Know God is testing your faith and producing perseverance in your life. Know that this is all a part of God’s bringing you to spiritual and professional maturity. Know that with God’s help you can successfully pass this time of testing.
Getting Real: Select a life preserving Bible verse to cling to in your professional maelstrom. Keep it visible somewhere in your classroom or work space. Pray it daily for yourself and pray it when the professional sea and storms are raging around you. Remember Jesus is the Prince of Peace and the captain of your professional ship, not you or others.
Copyright Don Clark. Email [email protected]