More Than We Could Ask
I often have moments where God will bring a song or scripture to my mind that is just the blessing I need. He seems to know just what will bolster my courage or bring me peace in the midst of a challenge. Even as young as in middle school, I remember walking down the hallway with seeming peer pressure all around me and God feeding me lines of songs that got me through. He has always rescued me like that and I am grateful to Him for it.
As a teacher, my school years begin and end with greeting and then saying goodbye to little first graders. Each year’s classroom presents different challenges and blessings that require adjustment, flexibility in strategy and varying amounts of patience. All last year I heard about this in-coming group of first graders. Constantly heard of how stressful this group was, how needy and how challenging. As I passed them in the hallway as kindergarteners, I would wonder, “Which ones would be mine next year?” Every day, I had to choose to not worry about next year. In my heart I heard the whisper, “The Lord I know ruleth o’re everything, and all of my worry is vain.”
Every year I adopt a new verse for the upcoming school year. My adopted verse of this school year was inspired at Campmeeting. God whispered to my heart, “This year I want to give you more than you could think, ask or even imagine according to my power in you.” So I looked up the verse in my Bible and wrote it in 3 different places, the first page of my teacher planner, on a sticky note on my computer screen at work and as my screen saver on my phone. “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.” (Ephesians 3:20)
Every time I looked at those 3 things I felt this great peace and assurance that his power was at work. I felt such wonder as I pondered and chewed on those words…More than I could even THINK to ASK him for?? What a wonderful thought!
Well, then I met the class and unfortunately, all the rumors were very, very true. Spot on. We struggled to sit. Struggled to line up. Struggled to listen. There were extreme behaviors. Mental health concerns. Concerns about neglecting homes…it was absolutely overwhelming and I was quickly just mentally and emotionally exhausted. After days and weeks of picking up my students from lunch and specials (art, music, etc.) I would hear the same report of “Talkative, wiggly, not listening…” and the earning of 2 or 3 Eagles out of a possible 5 (our school’s reward system). Never a good score.
Back in the classroom, we would talk about it, make a plan for the next time and every day it was the same. These are not just misbehaving children, these are needy children. I wish I could paint a picture of just how much some of these students need help. More help than I know how to give them. The grown ups in their lives are frustrated and need help too. I wish I could convey just how much these students need HOPE, more hope than I know how to convince them exists. This broken world has I suppose just started to break them too. So my pep talks and prayers each day were more than just about earning Eagles and feeling better about my classroom behavior and having it easier. It was more about THEM feeling like they were worthy of earning 5 Eagles and overcoming their challenges. So I did all I knew to do. I asked God for help. I relied on him for every minute, every moment, every disciplinary word, every challenging moment…I begged God to be there and guide my actions and my mouth. I FELT him working through me. Still day after day, I heard the same reports and statements of “Your class is….phew. I don’t know how you do it all day.” It is an overwhelming emotion to feel like your efforts are making zero difference. But God…
A few weeks ago, when I picked them up from specials class, honestly dreading it…the teacher turns and says, “Mrs.Bryant, I don’t know what to tell you. They have just improved so much. I’m giving them 5 Eagles!” I showed my shocked face and the kids were all beaming up at me. I said, “Are you teasing me?” (I really and truly couldn’t believe it.) The kids started belly laughing at my face and their joy was so infectious. One of my little girls said, “Nope we are not teasing you! See Mrs.Bryant…we did MORE than you asked!!”
sked, “What do you mean, more than I asked?” She said, “You said to get 4 Eagles and we got 5! That’s 1 MORE than you ASKED us to get!”
As I looked at their faces grinning up at me, I felt like God just positively shouted to me again in my heart, “exceedingly, abundantly, more than you ask or think - according to the power that worketh in you.” Thank you Jesus.
For the past 15 days straight, my students have earned 5 Eagles at Specials. Those who are mentally capable are sitting, lining up and listening as good as any class I ever have had for most of the school day. I now have support for those who are not mentally capable of doing those things and support for their extreme behaviors. Definitely better than the picture that was painted for me in the hallways last year. Definitely MORE than I could ASK or even THINK to ask of him. Is it perfect? No. Is it ever perfect? No! But I had settled in my mind this was just “that class” but God had other plans. Bigger and better ones.
Remember that God’s will is for you and I to have an abundant life! John 10:10 says, “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” As much as I could try, I cannot manufacture that kind of life on my abilities and talents alone, we cannot strive for it! We receive it only when we surrender our will to the Father and ask for his will to be done. Period. We can trust God with this submission! He sent His son to die for our sins so that we could have this abundance of Him, His power IN US. “The Lord I know ruleth o’er everything and all of my worry is vain.”
If this is true, then we should NEVER settle for anything less than God’s will of an abundant life for us. What else in my life am I possibly settling for? If He shows up in a classroom of 6 year olds, He can come to wherever you are. He can come in our marriages, our parenting, our relationships, our finances and our everyday lives…EXCEEDING ABUNDANTLY MORE than we could ask or think, according to the POWER that worketh in us. Thank you God for your sweet, sweet promises and for always whispering to my heart. Friends, listen closely and you WILL hear Him whispering to yours, calling you to an ABUNDANT life in Him.
Sis Diana Bryant
