Dust it off!

Lord, be gracious to us; we long for you. Be our strength every morning, our salvation in time of distress.--Isaiah 33:2

I wearily entered my classroom at the start of the day and switched on my desk lamp.  Light flooded my desktop revealing coffee rings and a layer of dust too thick for me to tolerate a minute more.  I yanked a saturated wipe from the dispenser and pushed away piles of papers.  Scrubbing away coffee stains, I eyed the rest of the mess decorating my desktop. 

A handmade card, an origami crane, a starfish, a plastic frog, a puzzle cube, and a pencil sharpener disguised as a little smiley-faced blue man who seemed to say, “Here I am, ready to serve!”  I laughed and shook my head.  What an odd assortment of items!  How did this collection find its way here? 

Then I remembered. 

The card—my own handiwork—stamped with curly waves of blue and a sandy seashore strewn with a trio of starfish—served as inspiration to press on.  It sports a taped-on definition of journey, “An experience or process that leaves you changed; trail of experience.  From here to there.” 

The origami crane was handcrafted by Molly, about to embark upon a journey of her own, setting sail for Thailand as an exchange student.

The single starfish—representative of the Starfish Story—served as a reminder that I could make a difference. 

And the frog, a symbol of the acronym, reminded me to Fully Rely On God when the journey to make a difference seemed too difficult. 

The newest addition to my desktop was the puzzle cube, its pieces masterfully matched together by a student when I myself had given up on the challenge. 

Lastly, the little blue man.  I have no clue how he arrived.  He was there the day I returned from an absence.  Did the substitute teacher leave it?  Only God knows.

Yes, quite the assortment of items I have.  Then there are the ordinary items—those you would expect to find on a teacher’s desk.  These too required attention. 

Picking up my hand bell—used more for ornamental purposes than for getting my students’ attention, I couldn’t help but wonder if God was trying to get my attention.  Was there a message connected to my collection?  Had I become so bogged down by layers of daily grime that I had lost sight of my dream?  Had I given up on the challenge to make a difference like I had on the puzzle cube? 

Dusting my apple-shaped tape dispenser, I wondered, God are you telling me to stick to it? I turned the tape dispenser in my hand and read the message emblazoned on the side, “Teachers rule!”  God, You rule!  I get it! Thank You for helping me match together the pieces of Your message. 

I glanced at the little blue man and a smile spread across my face.  Sometimes I’m as obtuse as a dull pencil, but this time, Lord, I get your point.  Here I am!  Ready to serve!

Thank You for never giving up on me.  Thank You that I can fully rely on You for strength for this new day.

Wiping the dust from my computer speaker, I continued, Thank You for speaking to me in that still small voice of Yours that rings loud and clear as a bell.  Renew my spirit with fresh energy to engage students and reflect your light as bright as the shiny top of my newly-cleaned desk.