We are entering exam week at school, that final push to finish up another year. It is hard to get students focused on doing well on their exams because they are already thinking about summer vacation. Well, the truth is that teachers are thinking about summer vacation, too. I am ready to send the students home to their parents so I can get some rest and relaxation.

            We had a crazy school year. We started off with two hurricanes affecting our area. We were out for a couple of days for each one. Then we missed a week for that big snowstorm. I thought we were going to get a snowy winter, but thankfully Mother Nature backed off and we didn’t miss any more school.

            I think I am a little more excited for this school year ending because I am retiring. I have been trying to clean things out as I find a little time here and there. I have found things stuffed away in my file cabinets that are really old. One thing I found was something I bought when I was student teaching.

            The decision about what to keep and what to toss is challenging. The school system has decided not to replace me, so most everything I leave behind will probably be tossed when I walk out the door. I have worked hard to organize my files so it is hard to just leave them. But I got some advice from a former principal this week, and it was to toss it all. I really don’t need any more clutter around the house so she is probably right.

            I contacted my former principal a few weeks ago and asked if we could meet before I retire, as she was such an inspiration in my career. She was gracious to come pay me a visit. We shared plenty of laughs and lots of memories. We also talked about how things have changed since we both began our careers. We both strongly believe…it’s all about the students.

            Students come from incredibly diverse backgrounds and many do not have what we would consider a traditional home life. Some of the students come from troubled homes, and our job was to help them achieve success in spite of their circumstances. My former principal and I agreed that there were students that gave us grey hair and tried our patience, but to see them graduate gave us great satisfaction. We both know that without our help some of the students would not have made it.

            I have always tried to keep an open door for students if they needed someone to listen. It is hard to gauge the impact of those conversations. One student came while I was super busy and wanted some advice about choosing a college. We talked and I offered some techniques on how to make important decisions. Knowing she was a Christian, I told her to pray and ask God to guide her. Years later I heard from a sibling what a powerful impact those few moments had on her life.

            I will never know the impact that a few minutes of my time had upon my students. That is what I try to remind myself every day, that if I will make myself available to God, He can use me. He knows where I am and He will put people in my path. We need to have sensitive spirits so we can hear and obey the leading of God.

            I am convinced that there are people in your life who need to hear from heaven. You may be the only conduit that God has available to reach them. He wants to use you but you have to be available to Him. Someplace a parent or relative is praying for someone like you to come into their family member’s life and offer them hope and guidance. The keys are to be ready, available, and willing to give out of what you have received. Hope, forgiveness, peace, direction, and love are truly wonderful gifts that you have and God wants you to share.

            I want to encourage you to be willing to share out of the abundance God has given you. It isn’t always money others need. People need time, consideration, love, support, care, and possibly a helping hand. You see, the biggest need most people have is you. They need you to be Jesus to them. They need you to be His hands, His feet, His words, His arms around them. Any one of us can do that…we just have to be willing to give of ourselves.

Contact Doug at doug@dougcreamer.com