It’s funny how everything in my life has come full-circle. Today I found myself running the exact same path at LMU that I would take after long days at institute last summer where I went through TFA teacher training. I’m back at institute again, this time to help run it for new corps members. And it is crazy how much things have changed since last year when I first arrived in LA.
I’ve lived here for a year now. THAT’S CRAZY. I’ve been married a year now. WAY CRAZIER. Last year when I would go running I would use it as my time with God every day. That’s why I grew to love running so much because it was my uninterrupted time with Him. I remember the things I would pray about last year. My entire life was changing. I prayed about finding a house, finding a church, finding community & friends. I prayed for my students that I didn’t even know yet and for the responsibility I was being given as their teacher. I prayed for our new marriage and for the stress that was about to be put on it with moving, teaching, grad school, etc.
And now it’s so incredible because I can thank God for providing a house, for leading us to a church family, for allowing me to build amazing friendships. I can now pray for my students by name; I can picture their faces and know exactly what to pray about. I can thank God for bringing me and Brandon through this year and making our relationship stronger.
He is the only thing that did not change over the past 12 months. My entire life has been flipped upside down, yet He has remained the same. I’ve been told this about Him for as long as I can remember, but it’s never made more sense than now.
Last Friday, I finished my last day of teaching. I cried, they cried; it was a big mess. I can’t express in words how much I love and care about every single one of my students. The relationships I was blessed to build this year are overwhelming.
One of my students baked me a birthday cake last week because he knew we wouldn’t be in school on my actual birthday (it was delicious, by the way). Many of them wrote me notes and made me cards and got me small gifts. One of the best was when they told me and another teacher (my best friend at the school; I wouldn’t have made it this year without her) not to come out during nutrition until they told us. They kept us waiting and kept us waiting, and when they finally said we could come out, we saw around 20 of our students wearing shirts they had made that spelled out “SOPHOMORES” and holding up letters to spell out our names. Then they turned around and they all had our names on the backs of their shirts. It was so sweet and it validated all the hard work we’d put in this year. It showed us that they know how much we care about them and how much we want them to be successful.
One of my favorite things that happened in the last few days was when I read the responses to the time capsule worksheet that my students filled out. I have one student who really gave me a lot of trouble at the beginning of the year. He would sleep through class, never do his work, be really disrespectful, and disrupt those around him. Throughout the year we were able to work through things, and he emerged as one of my best students, turning in assignments early and demonstrating how beautifully he could write. One of the questions on the time capsule asked “What are your goals for the future?” He responded: “Graduate and be successful so I can make my family and Mrs. K proud.”
Sometimes it really freaks me out that God has allowed me to be in this position. I feel so ill-equipped and unworthy to be a part of something this huge. But I’m so incredibly grateful that I get to do this. Over the past year I’ve become so passionate about education in this country and about the students whom this broken system is so negatively affecting. I know that this is what He has called me to, and I’m so excited to see what He’s going to continue to do over the next few years.
God is so faithful even in the midst of trials and struggles. This was the first thing I read this morning sitting on the porch watching the birds wake up and sing. This has been a hard month having 2 friends lose their sons (both 22). One from a wakeboard injury and one from a liver condition. It is so hard to understand yet I have to contiue to have faith that God is in control. I am so thankful to have you, Ms K, as my daughter and to see how God is working in your life to help others. Continue the good work with His help. Happy 24th birthday. I love you!