Your Presence is Paramount

The Assurance of Your Attendance by Linsey Shields

My son’s nerves were on edge. He was grumpy and had been for a few days. In his defense, home had been temporarily topsy turvy. His heart was hangry for normalcy. At the same time, his classroom had experienced 2 deaths weeks apart from one another.

Stability spun out and spread thin.

Then, what he shared next awakened me to the gravity of his teachers’ presence. As we crawled in bed to unpack his day, he shared how he was stressed and felt pressure…”and neither one of my teachers have been there” he said. Both of his teachers had understandably been away for a bit, and he was feeling the repercussions of their absence.

Teacher, there is NO substitute for your significance!

My son missed them. While it may go unstated, they long for the one that knows them. 

Your constancy brings security. Your presence is paramount!

As I ponder the very importance of your presence, I also wonder if you get lost in all the many obligations, requirements and expectations that continually pile on your plate. Do you sometimes ask yourself why you’re even teaching anymore?

TEKS, STAAR, IEPs, ARDs, 504s…the acronyms are endless, and they’re not what wooed you to teach. You want to make a difference, but the demands are daunting. You want to change the world, one heart at a time. But, let’s be real, the duties can snuff out your spark.

This reminds me of Mary and Martha in Luke 10. Jesus and his crew were headed to their home for a visit. They each had tasks to tend to for His arrival, but they went about them two very different ways. Let’s sneak a peek…

Martha was a doer, and there was never a shortage of things to do (I’m sure you feel her). She always saw agenda. No matter how hard she worked, she couldn’t check it all off. Martha was exhausted and grew weary. Her calling became taxing.

Martha saw the needs in front of her and became bitter to those around her.

Mary, on the contrary, knew her obligations but seemed oblivious. Her focus was on the Main event…Jesus. Her ignorance to the demands annoyed the heck out of Martha. I can imagine Martha huffing, and rolling her eyes as she wrought her apron in a wad.

Martha had had enough and she went to Jesus exasperated, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed-or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” 
Luke 10:40-42

Teacher, what student needs you today? The one? Do you see him acting out? Do you notice her nodding off? They are the very ones that so desperately need you to see them. 

You may feel overwhelmed…too many of them and so little of you. Focus on the one. 

Ask God which student truly needs you Each day. Remind yourself that they are the reason you chose this profession.

We all know the saying, “They don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” Here’s a quick illustration of this point.

My husband used to be an administrator at a local high school. As they prepped for testing each year, they held voluntary tutoring after school each day. But, there was a caveat…free food! Yep, they fed the kids and they came in droves. The school met their needs, the kids felt loved and guess what? Their test scores were among the highest in the state multiple times! The students knew how much their school cared, and as a result, those kids went to great lengths to achieve.

Teacher, mentor, role model . . . your calling is costly, and your sacrifice is saintly.

Friends, the work is weighty. No doubt about it. The call to duty can’t be ignored. But, what if we veered from Martha’s ways and her worries and, like Mary, focus on the one that needs us most today.

You’re the one He sees and smiles upon every day! 

Rest assured, your attendance brings assurance.

Hi, my name is Linsey Shields! I am a beloved daughter and lover of Jesus, a pastor’s wife, a mom to 3 (2 by belly and 1 by adoption). I’ve had seasons where I strayed from my faith, surrendered to it and everything in between. I have battled an autoimmune disease for 14 years, and we have a special needs child. My passion lies in matters of the heart, and I truly believe coffee always makes a conversation sweeter. At my blog, I plan to keep it real, let down my guard and carry Hope into your world. Join me at hopeshields.com!!

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