Life's Work

Wake up. Get ready. Go to work.

About 60 students pass through my classroom everyday. As one of their teachers, I only have 50 minutes at a time to help them develop skills that will hopefully be of some use to them later on in life. The objective of my day is to leave them wanting to learn more, feeling inspired, knowing that they walked out with a little bit more than they walked in with.

Sure I can be better at what I do. I need to be corrected and given constructive criticism. There will be days when this threatens to discourage me, but that's when I have to be humble enough to know that there's a lot of growing and learning that I still need to do. Being teachable keeps you bouyant in this world. If you think you're perfect, you're in for a big disappointment.

Today came and went. It's the middle of the day right now and I'm quite tired. Not exhausted. Just somewhat drained. But I meant it when I told my 4th period class that they make me want to go back to teaching. No, I'm definitely not the best there is. This, however, is a challenge that I'd like to take on again someday, possibly at the elementary level again. It would take a lot of self-management on my part, but it would be nice to have a class of my own like I did before and play such a big part in their lives at such an impressionable age.

We'll see what God has in store.

For now, I'm happy with my place here at Verb. It has its own benefits and challenges, and I share the joys and sorrows with everyone else on campus. One of my students asked me what Mass was because he's never been exposed to one. So here I have the greatest privilege to practice true ecumenism - to share the beauty of the Catholic faith with those who grew up in other churches and build bridges instead of walls between different types of Christians.

There are more good days than bad.

When I think about what I want to spend my life doing, no one particular occupation comes to mind. I simpy have the following list that guides the direction I take:

• love God
• serve others
• help people get to heaven

That's it. So the opportunities presented to me have allowed me to do exactly that. This is why I shouldn't take my job for granted. Other people would give anything to be here...not because it pays a whole lot, but because it's great work. Stressful at times, yes, that's for sure. But if I never got the chance at this, I'd probably be wishing that I had.

Lord, please help me be excited instead of scared about this upcoming school year. We've got a lot of great students joining us in the fall, and I just pray that You'll guide me and show me how to make their encounter with You here at Verbum Dei an experience that will stay with them for the rest of their lives.

"Whatever your life's work is, do it well. A man should do his job so well that the living, the dead, and the unborn could do it no better. If it falls your lot to be a street sweeper, sweep streets like Michelangelo painted pictures, like Shakespeare wrote poetry, like Beethoven composed music; sweep streets so well that all the host of heaven and earth will have to pause and say, "Here lived a great street sweeper, who swept his job well."

Dec. 3, 1956-Montgomery, Alabama, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.