bulb can be found at www.nostalgicbulbs.com
I had one of those “Aha” moments yesterday. It was truly a game changer for me. As a scientist, I’ve always loved the story of Archimedes jumping out of the bathwater when he discovered the method to prove that the king’s crown was truly gold. Although it is rumored he yelled, “Eureka”, that is my favorite historical “Aha” moment. As a teacher, I have always enjoyed the times when I saw the light bulb turn on for a student. It’s that moment when you get a glimpse into a student taking knowledge and making it their own. Bringing big smiles to me, those moments are priceless.
My epiphany yesterday came about in an unexpected way. I needed to travel for a business meeting, and my ministry partner who was to travel with me was needed to care for her mom. Utilizing the best network of friends I have, I posted on Facebook asking if anyone was free for a quick trip to Sioux Falls. Luckily for me, a friend and her little boy (whom I lovingly call Turnip) were free and up for a road trip.
I have known this friend for more than a year, but we’ve never had this kind of just the two of us time together before. I was looking forward to it, and I was so thankful for the company. Turnip isn’t a bad companion either. He rode along as a little trooper in his car seat. I will never turn down an opportunity to snuggle with him – ever!
As the day progressed, we spent our travel time just swapping stories and getting to know each other better. Turns out, we have a lot in common. She probably discovered what most of my friends do – I have a story about everything! At some point, we were sharing some pretty amazing stories of how God has handled things in our life. I don’t really know how it happened, but she was telling of an amazing opportunity of when God had put her in a place to truly bless some strangers.
As she was telling her story, it was almost as if God dropped some knowledge on that mini-van that went straight to my heart. Sometimes, I just need to get out of my own way. That seems theoretically impossible, but what I mean is that sometimes, I let MY plans, MY worries, MY fears, and MY failures, get in the way of God’s. I really get bent out of shape if MY plans go awry.
Listening to her story, I realized that every single time that MY plans didn’t, well, go as planned. God had either set me up to be blessed more or placed me to bless someone else. That knowledge was a humbling game changer. I thought about how God had lovingly given me a new set of skills for the next plan that falls apart. I need to adjust my horizon by praying, “Okay God! I don’t know what’s coming but I’m ready to be blessed or to bless someone. And I’m listening.”
When that light bulb went on in my head, I am fairly certain that the Ultimate Teacher smiled.