Love and Patience

I've been wanting to put a new blog entry in for a few days now, but I was struggling with what I have been thinking about this past week. I finally decided to go ahead and voice my thoughts.

Basically, I learn each and every day to have patience. And also, I continue to learn more and more about loving everyone.

I'll start by saying that as a primary teacher, I have been given a book that will help me to improve my teaching skills...and I can use all the help I can get! Every week I try to read at least a chapter in the book (which by the way is called "Teaching, No Greater Call"). As I've mentioned in past entries, I have been struggling with reverence in my class. The chapter I read last week said that if we show the children love, they will want to do what we ask them to do. I thought to myself, "Am I not doing that?!" But I decided to try even harder. An amazing thing happened. As I was sitting in Sharing Time, with the little girl next to me being anything but reverent, I looked at her and instead of being annoyed, I felt an outpouring of love. My class was not miraculously quiet the rest of the day, but I didn't get half as annoyed as I normally do, and I didn't leave quite as frustrated as I usually end up being. What an awesome experience that was for me! I can't tell you for sure what changed in me...maybe I just opened my heart more...but I am grateful for it!

There have been other things in my week that have added to the idea of having more love for those around me. I am far from perfect in that respect, and have been allowing myself to get very annoyed with people. It's something I still need to work on...a lot! Thank goodness I have experiences like the Primary one that remind me why I want to work on opening my heart and allowing love to enter in.

Patience...let me just tell you! That seems to be even harder for me than having love. By the end of this work week I was about ready to pull my hair out. I don't understand exactly why I get this way, but when Friday roles around I just can't wait to get away from work and the services I provide there. It's almost embarrassing that I get so annoyed with people who are just asking me to help them in ways that they are unable to help themselves anymore.

Without getting too preachy, can I just ask anyone who reads this to work on these qualities with me? Then again, maybe you are all masters of patience and love. But if you aren't...make a goal! It's hard...I am living proof of that...but it will bless your life!