Devotional #16               

Do I Belong Here?

     Have you ever asked yourself the question: Do I belong here? If you find yourself in this position, you probably don’t belong there at all! Jeremiah 29:11 declares, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” We must never forget that God has a plan and we should seek Him for it to be revealed in our lives!

           

Since I was a child I always believed that I would be a teacher. Even as a youngster, I would set up a large chalkboard in front of my home and ‘teach’ the smaller children in my community as they sat before me on the warm summer pavement. However, once I graduated high school, my father talked me out of my dream and encouraged me instead to go into advertising. He insisted that I would always struggle financially as an educator and that I would equally enjoy a different field in which I could utilize my artistic and creative abilities.

           

  Believing this, I enrolled in a technical college. Although I was enjoying the 15 credits of art classes I was attending, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I didn’t belong there. While I’m generally a happy, sociable person, I began feeling depressed and had difficulty relating with my peers there. When I finally began seeking God for direction, I realized that I hadn’t sought Him before I made this decision. Big mistake! Proverbs 16:9 says, “A man’s heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps.” As I continued to pray, I repented and understood that I needed to go. Although it was mid-semester and I was on track of having a 4.0 GPA, I had to run, not walk away. I couldn’t be out of God’s will for another month, not even another second!

     Several years later I was almost finished studying early childhood education at community college. Initially, I intended on opening my own daycare center. One day, my pastor’s wife spoke at a service about how they were burdened to open a school. As she spoke, I was immediately quickened that I was meant to be a part of it. When I approached her about it after the service, she had some concerns that I had not yet completed a bachelor’s degree and neither was I fully licensed yet. I boldly told her that I would gladly scrub toilets or assist in the pre-k, believing that I was meant to be there! The first year I assisted in the pre-k, and by the following year I was the lead pre-k teacher, working under her license.

            When I started that second year, a parent insisted on meeting me before I began teaching her child. I would soon find out that this was no ordinary meet and greet. We sat with the principal and she immediately began to attack me saying, “What sickness is in your mind that you (as a man) would want to teach four year olds? Are you some kind of pervert? The principal quickly vouched for my good character. I also assured her that her daughter would be well-cared for, and learn a lot. I welcomed her to visit often, and without notice.

By the end of the year, this mother asked me not to move to kindergarten, because although she’d like her daughter to have me again, she’d prefer for her son to benefit by having me as his first teacher, too! There’s nothing like being where God has placed you! Now, I am still teaching after more than twenty years.

See It for Yourself: Jeremiah 29:11, Proverbs 16:9, Isaiah 30:21, Deuteronomy 30:19, Proverb 3:5,6  

Prayer Focus:

Dear Lord,

You see the beginning from the end and you love me. So, why wouldn’t I trust Your guidance and direction with all my heart. Show me the way to the future that You have mapped out for me! Help me to choose your path of blessing and life! Help me to not lean on my own understanding, because I see only in part. You comprehend all things. I acknowledge You as my God and I will gladly follow You.

In Jesus’ name I pray. 

Amen.

Working It Out:

He is God! Therefore: seek, obey, follow, and repeat continually!