Hold My Hand

A good friend of mine told me a few months ago to "follow Jesus in the work He has put into your hands for today." Anyone who knows me at all can tell you that I struggle with not having a plan, with anxiety about the future, and with wanting to arrange next week and next month when today is staring me in the face. I have clung to that Biblical truth for a while now, especially since life on the mission field (and often just life in general) does not align well with wanting to plan and organize a very unknown future.

This week, God decided to give me a literal example of focusing on the work He has put in my hands for today.

Thursday was, by all accounts, a successful day at school. Second graders practiced addition using a math game, fourth graders learned how to write decimal place value using manipulatives and fractions, and sixth graders raced to see who could correctly multiply decimals the fastest. My students for the day were well-behaved and respectful for the most part. The fourth graders were even so excited that they were literally erupting in applause after discovering that the majority of the class had correctly solved a problem. From a teaching perspective, my morning was constructive, productive, and purposeful.

But then God told me to hold Melanie's hand. 

Melanie is one of our sixth grade students. She's a bit infamous around here as one of "those" kids who each teacher seems to have a story about. At the beginning of the year, she and I butted heads in the classroom a few times. After one of her biggest outbursts, I pulled her outside and we had a serious one-on-one talk about her behavior. Ever since that day, she's been one of my model sixth grade math students. She still has her "Melanie attitude" and her "Melanie looks," but for the most part, we have a great relationship.

On Thursday after school, our middle school students were invited out to our camp for an afternoon of Bible study, crafts, and sports with an awesome visiting American team. We loaded up on our little bus (4-to-a-seat...it was tight) and drove out towards camp. The steep road on the other side of the river leading to camp was being worked on, so we all had to get out and walk the last leg of the trip. And as we started to walk, Melanie took my hand and started walking next to me. This 12-year-old girl who was hard as steel at the beginning of the year just latched on - and we walked hand-in-hand, arm-in-arm to camp.

When I think about redefining "success" and considering "productivity" with new eyes, Melanie is the one who God brings to mind. At the end of the day on Thursday, I wasn't thinking about my math lessons or my teaching objectives or my learning outcomes. I was thinking about holding Melanie's hand. I knew that my day had graciously been successful for the Kingdom of God not because kids learned how to multiply, but because Melanie felt God's love. On Thursday, God literally told me to focus on the work He had put into my hands for that day, that hour, those minutes. How often am I so busy thinking about and already trying to control tomorrow that I miss the job God is trying to put into my hands today? I am thankful that we don't serve a God who is too focused on the future that He can't walk with us, hand-in-hand, today. And just like Melanie, it is my choice to take His hand, to walk with Him, to not try to run ahead nor try to turn and look back, but just to walk hand-in-hand with my Savior.

"Nevertheless, I am continually with you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel." 

-Psalm 73:23-24

"Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with y righteous right hand."

-Isaiah 41:10

"For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, 'Fear not, I am the one who helps you.'"

-Isaiah 41:13

Walking hand-in-hand with Gabi