Thankful Nov 8

Today I’m grateful for the innocence of children.

The world is an ugly place, but when I walk into my classroom with those 23 unbiased and untainted (relatively speaking) little individual personalities that can’t wait to have fun while learning to read, write, work with numbers,  and solve problems both academically as well as socially, it just makes me happy.

These children don’t see color of skin, they don’t see socioeconomic barriers, they don’t see the things that separate adults.  

They see the things that they like about each other.

Sure, they have arguments and disagreements.

I love encouraging them to work out their differences with each other.  It’s not my job to fix it for them, but to guide them into developing skills to solve those arguments and disagreements, and to try to see the other person’s perspective of the situation, and to develop skills of empathy.

And truthfully?  Most of them usually work things out without my having to intervene.  

The election is finally over and I have to say that I’m sick to death of all the negativity I’ve seen on fb and in emails.

It’s one thing to have a difference of opinion and to be upset over election results.  I can understand that folks are fearful for the future of our country.  Who isn’t?  But when folks, who call themselves Christians, choose to demean and demoralize and mock others whose opinions differ from their own, I just can’t see how that spreads the love of Christ.  And isn’t that what we’re called to do?

 Today I’m thankful for the innocence of children.  

I pray for a healthier world for their future.

I pray for a world where the grown-ups can take a lesson or two from the children. 

 I pray that we all may see and embrace the things that unite us, rather than divide us.

I pray that we will have a righteous anger for things that are unjust.

 I’m thankful that I don’t serve a president no matter who is in office or their political affiliation, but I serve a Risen King who is the ultimate Commander in Chief, the Creator and Redeemer of us all.

I pray that God will continue to Bless America.