Lord, be gracious to us; we long for You. Be our strength every morning, our salvation in times of distress. Isaiah 33:2, NIV
Christmas concert day—I survived many of them over the years. I would spend all of my energy getting the children ready, seeing that the programs were printed, the risers were in place, and the auditorium and sound system were set up. I would arrange chairs for my 60 singers twice during the day in addition to teaching my full load of classes…these days were always exhausting.
And it always seemed like on these important days, I was the most tired and the most vulnerable to Satan and my own sinful nature. However, I believe that because I gave these events to God for His glory, He saw to it that the children did their best, details were arranged, and everything went well despite my shortcomings.
One year, I recorded my prayer on concert day:
Lord, I am completely out of my own strength, creative energy, and authority over what happens today. Everyone is supremely weary at school, many are fighting sickness, it has rained for days, and we are in our seventh week without a principal. The children are smitten with each other and with Christmas, and pay little heed to us adults. I pray as Isaiah prayed, “Oh, Lord, be gracious to us. We long for You.” As I gather the manna from You this morning, I ask for oil as well to give me Your joy. “The joy of the Lord is my strength” too. May all who watch and scrutinize my life today see the glory of Your power in me. Amen.
May You be glorified in all I do this day, oh my God and my Savior! Amen.
Copyright Shirley Wilson.
Shirley is a retired member and former board member of Christian Educators.
2 Responses
Today is my first day of Winter break. I’m awake at 5:41am. I’m getting out of bed in an hour to get ready to go in to my 2nd job for a few hours. And I’m so grateful for the opportunity to provide for my son and I.
Even though I don’t have to go teach today, I felt encouraged in this devotion. As I read, I was reminded of all the “jobs” we as teachers have every day. And how we’re expected to keep it together emotionally, mentally, and physically. The prayer you wrote down was perfect for how most of us feel at school this year. I love teaching, and I love my students. But, it is exhausting. Leaning on God is the only answer. Thank you for your encouraging words.
Thanks for sharing, Jody! God bless you and your son this Christmas and throughout the new year!