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Happy Hour Blessing

By March 16, 2022SavED by Grace
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Happy Hour Blessing

By Donald Clark

Could you not keep watch for one hour? (Matthew 26:40)

The Lord gives strength to His people; the Lord blesses His people with peace. (Psalm 29:11)

The greatest blessing of Amanda Marley’s professional career was committing one hour each week to pray for the school where she taught. She spent an average of fifty hours per week at school and the Lord encouraged her to tithe 2% of that time, one hour to Him. Nothing was more renewing and encouraging in her professional life. Her students’ successes and the professional accolades and awards she received could never compare with the joy and peace of this hour with God each week.

The public school where she worked had a very committed group of ten to fifteen educators who religiously met after school every Friday for happy hour at one of the local restaurants for fellowship, to discuss school business and drink spirited beverages. As Amanda saw their commitment to gather with one another, her heart was grieved by the questions Jesus put in her heart, “Who is meeting with me for fellowship and to discuss the week at work? Who is seeking my companionship, my counsel, and my comfort regarding what is going on in school? Who will come to drink my Spirit-filled living water?” Jesus also brought to her memory the question He asked His disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane the night before he was crucified, “Could you not keep watch with me for one hour?” (Matthew 26:40). 

Inspired by these questions and this group of committed teachers, the Lord called Amanda to dedicate one hour each week to meet with Him to fellowship and discuss school business. She met every Monday afternoon from 4:00 to 5:00PM at a small church across the street from her school. She invited co-workers, whom she knew were Christians, to join her but they all politely declined. For an entire school year, she met alone with the Lord.

This hour was the highlight of her week.  Amanda, who was on the worship team at her church, took her guitar, Bible and journal. Some days she was exhausted and simply sat in silence before the Lord for an hour. Other days she prayed intensely for students, staff and parents. Some days she sang for an hour.  Some days she read her Bible and wrote down scriptures and how they applied to her career.

During the second year of that Happy Hour, one other teacher regularly joined Amanda. The third year there were six. Eight years later there were nine or ten who regularly met each week. Eventually this group began praying in the school. Meeting with others made this time even more meaningful and empowering for Amanda.

Jesus is standing in the midst of His public schools saying, “Come! Come and drink all you who are thirsty!

Join me for Happy Hour! Will you keep watch with me for one hour?”  Will you join Him? Will you invite others?

PRAYER: Jesus, we spiritually thirst in education. Lead us to a happy hour with you and others in the school where we work.

EXERCISE: Ask Jesus when, where, and how He wants to meet with you for Happy Hour, then join Him. Invite others to join you.

© Donald Clark 2021 from Simple Wisdom for a Teacher’s Heart

Jesus said in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink….” (John 7:37)

Donald Clark is a thirty-three-year public educator of special needs students. He is the founder of the CEAI Houston Area Network and has been its Director for over twenty years. He has received the Texas Lifetime Achievement Award from the HEB Excellence in Education program and has received a state congressional commendation for his work with youth and educators.  He has written numerous collections of educator devotionals such as Teacher Take Courage!, The Carpenter’s Classroom and Get Off the Bus. He has been published in the Teachers of Vision magazine and his work featured in Around the Word in 180 Days. He recently launched a new book, Peemail–Pet’s Healing Power, which is available on Amazon.

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