This is my 7th year in a classroom. Had it not been for the 1 year hiatus I took a year and a half ago, it would be my 8th. Over those 7 years I have taught at least 800 students (probably more, I’ve lost track). I have taught everything from 6th grade to 12th grade and students from all walks of life and different cultures. If you know me, you know that teaching was not really in the game plan for my life at all as a high school or college student. As a matter of fact, I distinctly remember the thought come across my mind while I walked the halls of my high school of “why would anyone want to teach a bunch of high school kids”. Oh boy, life sure does have a way of taking some odd twists and turns.

Now that I have crossed the teenager/adult threshold, I often find myself having conversations with the kids I teach about their goals and dreams. On one hand I want to encourage every single dream they have and tell them to go for it with all they have. However, on the other hand, I know the harsh realities of life and how achieving those dreams typically takes longer and costs more than you ever planned. I also know that just because you think you know what you are going to do with your life as an 18 to 21 year old high school or college student, doesn’t mean that’s how it’s going to shake out. Now, are all of those ‘harsh realities’ bad? No, I actually think the harsh realities are what builds our character, although that doesn’t make them any less harsh.

As I think back to the naive girl I was when I moved to Texas, almost 13 years ago now, I can’t help but laugh a little. I was certain that life was a whole lot cheaper than it actually is. I had no idea of the realities of medical bills, property taxes, even how drastically an electric bill can vary based on the time of year it is and how hot or cold it may be outside. I was clueless to all of those things. That’s one reason I love to teach kids as much as a I can about the real world. I wish so badly that I would have been offered a basic real world finance class in high school rather than learning it in the school of hard knocks.

Let’s just get real honest though, regardless of the class I took or who told me what amazing advice, would I have listened? Probably not. Just like almost every teenager on the face of the planet, I had to experience the hard stuff for myself to really understand. That hard stuff is what humbles us. It also develops a compassion in us for what those around us are experiencing. When you experience something hard, it gives you a unique perspective that could be very useful in helping someone else. Rather than wishing for something else, maybe we should seek what we can learn in our rough spots. Easier said than done, for sure, but no less true.

So, although I sure didn’t think my life would turn out this way, I would not change the process of getting from where I was, to where I am now. Honestly, the person I was 13 years ago, is vastly different than the person I am now. I hope I will only continue to grow, learn, and change. If I was to get even more honest, I feel bad for people who have never been stretched. It’s easy to spot a person who has never been taken out of their comfort zone. Typically they are the ones who are hard to work with because they don’t have compassion for others. They are also the people who are very judgemental and have an opinion about how you are doing something, when they have never done it themselves.

I love these verses about this very topic (emphasis added): “Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important. Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else. For we are each responsible for our own conduct.” Galatians 6:1-5 NLT

So, rather than wishing life had turned out differently, lets instead embrace the craziness and use it to help others. Imagine a world when we all really did share each others’ burdens and humbly helped each other. Imagine what it would feel like to truly love others with the love that Christ has for us, and to receive that kind of love from others. What an amazing world that would be!