Monday, October 25, 2010

Hell and Moles

Student: Miss Hunter, how did Satan end up in hell?

Me: Well at one point he was up in Heaven with God and all the other angels. God gave all the angels a choice to love Him or not, just like He gives us. Satan chose not to love God, so he was sent out of Heaven.

Student: Oh, I see. Have moles ever been to hell? You know, they can dig pretty deep.

Saturday, October 23, 2010

2nd Graders and Werewolfs

We had just come in from recess.  I was hurriedly trying to get my students lined up for Art class.

Thomas: Miss Hunter, is George turning into a werewolf?

Me: No.

Thomas: He says he is.

Me: He isn't.

Thomas: But he says that if you get bitten by a werewolf you turn into one.

Me: He wasn't bitten by a werewolf.

The student walked over to the supply baskets to get his art supplies. I could hear he, George, and two other boys talking.

Will: Miss Hunter says you aren't, George.

George: She doesn't know everything.

Thomas: Uh! She's the teacher. She is sooo smart.

George: She knows a lot, but she doesn't know everything about me.

George (to Will): Why did you tell her? I didn't want people to know.

Will: I didn't. Thomas did!

George: Why did you tell him? I only told you because I was spending the night. I didn't want anyone else to know about it.

Will: ::sighs deeply:: I'm sorry.

The Art Teacher had a nice little laugh when I warned her of the situation.

Friday, October 22, 2010

That Person

I struggle in my prayer to give myself, as I truly am, to God.

I'm fairly certain .... well...as certain as one who tries to remain completely open to God's will can be (i.e. not certain at all) that God does not intend for me to approach Him alone for the rest of my life. In other words, I was made for union with man. (The reasons why I have the amount of timid, uncommitted belief I do is a story for some other time.)

So, being made for such union, I frequently find myself asking God how much time I must spend longing for it. I try to gently remind Him ;-) of that for which I was made.

However, God, in His infinite wisdom and perfect love, has me single now.  He is calling me to a life of something else for the time being. I find it hard to embrace big dreams in Him while waiting.

Around the time of graduation, I was preparing to say many, many goodbyes. I was comforted by great peace in a vision of a life in which faithful servants of God continuously come into my path and leave.  They leave because God calls them.  They leave because of their openness to His will in their lives.  They leave because the Father beckons.

As the Kingdom of God is built up around the world through the "yes" of all these people I envisioned walking in and out of each others' lives, there would be joy.  I saw myself going wherever He called as well.

Right now though, I wait.

I love that vision. But I struggle to give myself fully to it.

It is a joyful life, yes, but the good Christian knows that the joy comes only as the fruit of suffering.

I've found myself waiting, unaccountably it seems, for that one person who would always be at my side - the one person who would walk in and not out, whose call was the same as mine.

As I confessed this in prayer to our loving and gently compassionate God, He whispered His response to the silence and stillness of my heart:

That person you are waiting for...it's me. I am the One who will never leave as others journey away.  That person is me.

Monday, October 18, 2010

Sunday, October 17, 2010

The Adventures of Owning a Car

I'd been noticing at various times over the past several weeks that my car was in need of a good hand washing.  There was an element of I-don't-have-time-for-this mixed in with an even bigger element of excitement. So, yesterday I happily declared that I would be washing my very own car for the very first time!

I should have seen it coming.  It began right off the bat.  I just didn't notice it at first.

You see, since the last time I've washed a car, my family has switched to new soaps. Since I would undoubtedly use too much, my mom got the water ready for me.

The car washing began with me making a slightly joking, slightly serious comment about not washing the top because no one could really see it anyway.  In the next moment, my mom was standing on a step ladder washing the top of my car...as I a stood there watching.

As I was just beginning to wash the first side, my dad came out. As both parents circled around the car with me, I thought to myself that this was kind of fun - a nice little family occasion.

Then as I finished up the third side, I heard it. "You missed a spot."  "She did? Where? Oh! Yea, I see it way down there."

I just kept working, moving on to the front.  Meanwhile, the inspection continued. "There is a little spot down on this side too..."

"Okay, I'm finished with the front."

"Here Melissa, let me see that."  Once again, the car washing baton passed from my hands, this time into my father's.  He got those couple of spots that I missed.

Last came the wheels. "I'm not really worried about them.  Aren't they kind of meant to be dirty?"  How silly of me to think such a thing.

The car washing experience ended with my dad bent over washing the wheels as my mom followed him around with the hose, spraying things down and inspecting his work.

Where was I you may be wondering?

Sitting on the step ladder.

Watching.

Shaking my head.

And smiling a bit too.  After all, I should have seen it coming.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Day Book: Nearing the End of a Week that Flew

FOR TODAY
(October 14, 2010)

Outside my window... it is very dark.  I'm laying in bed avoiding both sleep and my thoughts.  I'm tired.  In many ways. But right now, I just need to be.

I am thinking... that I need to change. I must change. God is waiting. I don't know exactly what needs to change.  I don't know when it will happen or what its result will be. However, change seems to be on the horizon.

I am thankful for... the rhythm and liturgy of the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church.

I am wearing... PJs and probably a look of deep contemplation.

I am creating... memories -f or myself, for some amazing teens, for my students, for my family, for my friends, for my coworkers. I hope that I am creating well.

I am going... to seek and surrender.  That much I know He asks.

I am reading... A little of this and little of that. Nothing very consistent.

I am hoping... that things change.  I hope that I become better, become holier.

I am hearing... the fan blowing and my fingers typing.  Also, a voice inside me that seems to think I should resist and that whatever I'm sensing myself called to isn't possible anyway.  I'm hearing that voice, but I'm trying ever so hard to not listen.
 
Around the classroom...I will be getting a SMART Board!  I've introduced a new Reading Response Program.  The students seem to like it.  The organizational element is finished. I think it might actually work well!

One of my favorite things... good, honest, Christ-centered conversation.

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