Thanksgiving Perspective

I picked up Dr. Mella Davis at the airport recently. She was a past CEAI National Educator of the Year. She taught French and English at a local public high school. She’s the founder and director of Teachers of the Nations, a mission begun in 2012 in resettlement and squatters’ camps in Worcester, South Africa. This mission enriches the lives of girls living in abject poverty with the wealth of Jesus’ provision, love, and truth. Every time I’m in Mella’s presence, I am transported into two worlds —the Kingdom of God and South Africa. 

Mella told me these facts about the public elementary school the girls attend.

Listening to Mella improves my tunnel vision. She helps me see in 3D—my perspective, her perspective and Jesus’ perspective. Seeing in 3D makes me so thankful for what we have in this country and it opens my heart to help those in need elsewhere. In the midst of the current pandemic and its effect on education, nearsighted educators focus on the negative—what we don’t have and what we can’t do. Farsighted educators are anxious and fearful about possible COVID-19 outbreaks and state accountability test scores coming in the spring.

We are at a crossroads in education right now. Do you see Jesus standing near you? Is He behind, beside, in front of, or carrying you? He is reciting to every educator who listens, Enter His schools with thanksgiving and His classrooms with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name (Psalm 100:4)! Abba’s schools and classrooms doors are gates to heaven on earth.

He is also saying, Be careful, he/she who takes things for granted, takes credit for things achieved, and does not pass forward blessings received, is in danger of losing these things, achievements, and blessings.

When was the last time you thanked God for your school’s heating and air conditioning, technology, class size, support personnel, full-time administrators, library, cafeteria, and free healthy lunch for children whose families can’t afford it?

Too often, the cries of educators are, “MORE! MORE! MORE! We need MORE money, MORE technology, MORE programs, MORE personnel, MORE training, and MORE improvement of test scores!” when they should be, “Lord, thank you for what we have! We give you the glory for it! What’s next?” 

We get focused on what we or others want in education for ourselves and lose sight of what Jesus wants. He’s the only one who can heal our tunnel vision and our near and farsightedness. Only He can give us 20-20 spiritual vision.

I invite you, each time you walk into school, to thank God aloud for three or more things about your school. I also invite you, each day when you walk through your classroom or office door, to thank God aloud for three things about your office or classroom. I invite you to give God glory and credit for success and achievement in education. I invite you to start each class by having three students each share one thing they are thankful for. 

Against all these things there is no law (Gal. 5:28) Enter His schools with thanksgiving and praise!