Watch Them Come Running

I am a preschool special education teacher. As with any job, the details and paperwork can start to drag on me at times. But then I have moments like I’ve had lately, and my perspective shifts again.

We’ve always had a good “flow” in our room among the teaching staff. Other teachers and supervisors often note the peaceful, friendly atmosphere in our class, despite the number of students having significant behavioral issues and other disabling conditions.

There is a very specific reason for that: I have declared since the beginning that my room is God’s room, and He is welcome there. And that makes all the difference.

Now, don’t get the wrong idea. I am not telling Bible stories or praying with the students. That’s not in my job description, and it probably isn’t in yours either. But it doesn’t have to be.

I belong to Him, I seek His presence first in my life, and He pours out all I and my kids need. I don’t have to talk about Him, because He’s with me wherever I go. And even if the students don’t have the words for what is different, they know our room is a good place to be.

So what’s this change I’ve been noticing? Lately, at least two to three times a week, other students with significant needs break away from their teachers in the hallway and come running into our room as their class walks past. They can’t tell you why, but I know. They are experiencing something they may never have felt before, and they want more of it.

That is what all of us are supposed to be: the ones others run to because we have what they need. And whether you are working in a cubicle, a police cruiser or at home, you are not exempt.

How do you get there, you ask? First, you put in the time in prayer, in the Word and in church so that the Holy Spirit has a permanent resting place in your life. Then you simply go and do what God has put in front of you and watch who comes running. The Holy Spirit will tell you what to do next. 

Sound too simple? It’s not. Just remember, in the kingdom of God, simple doesn’t mean cheap or even easy. Bringing the presence of God to others is the task you were created for, and your preparation for that has to be your highest priority. But the outcome of changed lives is a greater satisfaction than anything else into which you could put your time.

Go ahead and try it—what do you have to lose? Maybe this is the solution to the conflicts you’ve been noticing around you. God is saying, “You can do more than pray about them; why don’t you become the carrier of the answer?”

Karen Ramsey is a contributing blogger to A Modern Voice and special education teacher.