My Heart

When we share about our weekends and you talk about your dad getting arrested because he was fighting with your mom...
When you have lunch with me and talk about the time your house got broken into during the middle of the night...
When you get so angry with your classmates and put up this bold guard against them...
When you get so sad because receiving discipline is hard...
When you stomp and fall to the floor because you think you don't have friends...
When you shrug off good advice I give to you because it's not want you want to do...
When you discourage and make fun of your classmates...
When I drive through your neighborhood at night and see police knocking on the door of someone's house...
When I don't know why you didn't come to school...

my heart breaks.

When you let me hold you tight and whisper in your ear...
When you lean into me and let me rub your back and wipe the tears off of your face...
When you write about being a good friend and how they say kind words and aren't selfish...
When you care for your classmates and instruct them on the words to say for an apology...
When you pinky promise me first thing in the morning that you're going to have a good day...
When you have everyone in the class sign a "contract" to end fight team...
When you tell me that you are going to work on having self-control...
When you engage with me in conversation, both academically and socially...
When you speak your mind in a tone that is kind...
When you make me laugh because you are seven and you have funny things to say...
When you show respect...
When you say that I'm your best friend...
When you hug me so tight that I have to pry you off...
When you come to school...

my heart rejoices.

For someone to rub your back and put you to sleep at night...

For someone to wipe your tears away from your eyes...

For someone to read with you...

For someone to speak life over you...

For someone to play with you...

For someone to recognize how great your little life is...

For someone to provide a cozy home for you...

For someone to make sure that you are always safe...

For someone to care for your every need...

because it's a desire of my heart.

I never stop thinking of my kids... if they're safe... what they're doing... what words they are hearing... what messages they are being exposed to... and so since I can't be with them every minute of every day, I pray... because I know that the Lord is there to comfort, protect, guide, teach, and love them even though I'm not. I've come alongside Him in the work that He's already doing... shepherding these children in the way they should go. Thing is, my heart has been through so much these past 2 months- it's been ripped, torn, repaired, joyful, sorrowful, sad, racing, selfish, and devoted... loving a person is no small thing.

Almost True

Final Instructions and Benediction

We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil. Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.

(1 Thessalonians 5:12-24)