Prayer: Lord, personally touch and speak to us individually on the job. We want a real relationship with You here at work, at home, and in the community. Amen

Scripture: No one’s ever seen or heard anything like this, never so much as imagined anything quite like it—what God has arranged for those who love Him. But you’ve seen and heard it because God, by His Spirit, has brought it all out into the open before you. I Corinthians 2:9-10 MSG

It was a chaotic Friday on Valentine’s Day and it was Diana’s lunch time. A new, angry student had just cursed her and walked out of class at the end of the last period. She had to write it up and get it to the assistant principal ASAP. She quickly went to her computer and decided to check her email before writing the discipline slip. If she was lucky, she might have time to eat something during her lunch break.

In her email she read three more directives, one from the district, one from her principal, and one from the math department chairperson. All of them were due on Monday and were going to take about two to three hours to complete. She already had a backlog of papers to grade and six-week grades to average because she had attended her son’s soccer tournament the previous two nights. Her daughter was sick at home, and Diana had been feeling guilty all day that she had not called in sick. She knew how her many unmotivated struggling students needed every day of instruction prior to the state tests which were drawing near. Diana was being pressured more and more each year for ever higher student test scores. She knew the date night planned with her husband, who was finally back in town—the first one they had taken in three months—was going to be canceled because of her daughter’s illness.

Silently, one solitary tear fell out of the corner of her right eye in seemingly slow motion and splashed on the keyboard. She felt the dam holding back her pent-up emotions was cracking and ready to burst. She knew that she could no longer meet the flood of expectations others had for her and that she had for herself. The job, combined with her responsibilities as a wife and mother, was crushing her. Diana knew her heart and spirit were breaking and she began to cry uncontrollably.

As she wept, she felt like what seemed to be two hands on her shoulders. Then in her heart and mind she heard a commanding but ever so loving voice saying, “Peace! Be still!” These commands were repeated two more times, “Peace! Be still! Peace! Be still!” At each command Diana began to cry even harder and deeper. She felt the hands and words were wringing her out like a sponge until there were no more tears left to cry.

At each command she felt a warm yet powerful sweeping jolt of electricity run throughout her body that, along with the tears, drained all her stress and anxiety. The voice, now a gentle whisper, continued to speak, “As the woman at the well had many previous husbands, you are trying to please many others before Me in your profession and family. You are trying to please administrators, students, co-workers, parents, your own children, your spouse, and yourself ahead of Me. If you have more than one master, you will please none. If you serve Me first, I will add all the professional and family things to your life that you need. Your yoke can be easy and light but not until you know I am I AM and you place Me first in every aspect of your life.”

“I love you Diana. Come follow Me, even here at school. With Me, nothing is impossible. I will help you find the time for us and these other responsibilities if you let Me. I am I AM and I am the author of time.”

Diana’s world was turned upside down that day at school in the twinkling of that touch and message. She had attended church and knew about God but she had never experienced a personal relationship or revelation and message from Him. She felt, for the first time that day, a love that far superseded even the love of her own spouse and children.

Diana called in a half-day absence after receiving that ultimate Valentine and went home to be with her ill daughter. She committed herself totally to Christ, not just Sunday mornings, and slowly He began rescheduling and reshaping her life. She began to daily place Him first in her life at home and at school. Joy and the love of her family and job, instead of the fear of failure and discouragement, began to motivate her. As a result, her professional life—and her family life—have been transformed in ways she could never imagine.

Reflection: Do I have a real personal relationship with God at work, home, and in the community? If not, have I ever asked Him for this kind of relationship?

Getting Real: Tell God in prayer that you want a real personal relationship with Him where you work and in every aspect of your life.

Copyright Don Clark.

Recently retired from his role as leader of the Christian Educators Houston area network, Don has been a remarkable leader, building a network of LIFT groups in nearly 30 schools, hosting transformative events, building a leadership team, and raising hundreds of thousands of dollars over the years to support compassion ministries, CE, and other causes.

To connect with Don, email info@christianeducators.org.