VISIONARY SOULS (SOILS): PART ONE
May 26, 2021
Prayer: Lord, open our spiritual eyes and give us visions to build our souls, encourage, and guide us. Amen.
Scripture: I, the LORD, reveal myself to them in visions. Numbers 12:6
Remember that the most productive gardens are those with the richest soils, and gardeners use many different things to build that soil. The most productive classrooms and schools in education are those that have staff members with the richest souls. God creates these souls in a variety of ways. He uses the Bible. He also uses visions.The following are two real visions that have been shared with me by educators. The names have been changed for confidentiality.
JESUS THE JANITOR – While in college as an education major, Amanda Benson began to have recurring visions of Jesus dressed as a janitor. He was humbly sweeping up shattered pieces of glass. After sweeping the pieces into a pile, Jesus scooped the glass up in His bare hands and pressed His hands together. When He reopened His hands there was a beautiful goblet made of multi-colored carnival glass. Amanda knew God was telling her, “Sweep up the broken pieces of children’s lives and make them beautiful and whole again. Serve special needs children.”
In the years that followed, Amanda became a high school special education master teacher. She transformed the lives of many youth and several staff members. Throughout her career, when Amanda would find herself becoming discouraged, the Lord would remind her of this vision. These memories would calm her, give her peace, and help her once again refocus on God and the youth she was serving.
BIKE RACK JESUS – Melody Garcia, a math specialist, was walking to her classroom in the
portable building behind the school. As she walked down the sidewalk she glanced beyond the
school’s chain link fence. She saw Jesus humbly standing at the student bike rack looking at her with a serene, peaceful smile on His face. It was as if He had something to give her while at the same time was expecting something from her. Melody was embarrassed to share this vision with anyone because they might think she was delusional. She wondered what Jesus wanted to give her and what He was expecting.
The summer before having this vision, Melody had attended a Christian educators’ summer conference for the first time. She wondered if the vision had something to do with the conference. The same year she had this vision, Melody realized that the Lord was telling her, “I am here. I am waiting. Will you invite me into my school?” Melody’s answer to His question was, “Jesus, yes I will.”
In affiliation with a local Christian teacher organization, Melody formed a faculty share, care, and prayer group that year at the junior high school where she worked, the first such group in the
school’s history. The group thrived and grew to almost twenty participants, and called itself the J.O.Y. Club. J.O.Y stood for Jesus, Others and You. This group began (and continues) to
positively impact the school in eternal ways.
God, open our spiritual eyes to receive your visions. Build our souls. Make us rich in you.
Reflection: Have I ever had a vision that I believe was from the Lord? Have I ever shared it with anyone?
Getting Real: Believe what God shows you in visions. Ask Him what they mean and why He has given them to you. Share them with a trusted Christian friend.
Copyright Don Clark. Email [email protected]