Day Three of Thanksgiving: The Gifts and Calling of God

Day Three Thanksgiving Week:
I am thankful for the gifts and calling of God. I can remember as a first grader sitting in the one room that made up our entire elementary school in the basement of a church in St. Louis, Missouri, knowing that one day I would be a teacher. That may seem improbable to many--but I remember. Miss Anna Irwin was our teacher, and the class was looking at a "play" I had written about vegetables--and I knew. And what a saint Anna Irwin was--teacher extraordinaire. 
Now, what I would teach was still "up for grabs," but never teaching. I think my entire family was chosen to teach--Mom, Pop, Chloe, Janice, and finally, the spoiled younger brother. I have always taught the Bible. I remember "preaching" my first sermon at sixteen in a little country church in Missouri--I spoke on loving God in such a way that all would know He was the love of your life. But "academically" it took until my sophomore year in college that I settled in on English and history. Originally, and I hesitate to confess this--I was going to teach math and physical education. Strange combination I know, but I loved math and wanted to coach. I did well in my college math class, taught by my brother-in-law, Larry Lemon, (perhaps he remembers differently), but I was drawn to literature and history as a means to teach truth and virtue. I did coach--not very well--for many years, but I gave that up in 1980--no regrets at all.
So since 1969--with some years off in hiding or taking care of Mom--He has placed me a classroom. And I am still learning every year what it means to be a teacher. The most important thing it means is that you have been called to love your students by demonstrating to them the love of God. I have not always done that well. Brokenness was the love He used to change my focus from self to others. And it is a focus that is just as challenging now as it was when He first began to teach me. It is also important that you teach the things you love so that it becomes contagious, and the students learn to love those things as well, and love to critically embrace the ideas being presented. Embrace the analysis and the ideas--not accept them necessarily. The third most important thing I am learning is that the greatest danger I face is to become a grader rather than a teacher. That will always be a struggle in education today.
The last place--I think--that He has called me to teach is Worthington Christian High School, and the last "age" He has called me to teach is the seniors. And, though I don't get to teach them all under the current system (sadly), I do get to love them all.
I love my Lord and Master Teacher. I love learning from Him each day. I love that He has called me to be a disciple who happens to be a teacher. I love that He has given me the gift of teaching so contrary to my love for solitude. I love each student He sends my way. And I pray that He will enable me to continue to do His calling until He's ready to call me Home. Faithful is He who calls you to empower you to fulfill His calling. That is a truth I am experiencing each and every day.
He called me when I was too young to know what a calling was. He has patiently taught me how to be His teacher in the classrooms where He placed me--and trust me, I have not always done a work pleasing to Him. But He continues to not give up on me, and, who knows, maybe someday I'll get to teach the grand-kids of kids I've taught. (That's a scary thought)
Thank You, Lord, for your calling, for each student You send me, and for the strength to continue to grow in the calling you have placed upon my life.