Proverbs 3:5-6: Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
There are many verses throughout the Bible that are there to help us through struggles. Our school’s verse for this year is Proverbs 3:5-6. This verse is one that I have had to use in my life to help me through difficult situations. I have had to learn to not lean on my own understanding, but trust in what God has planned for me. This has helped me to get where I am today.
I started working at a small, Lutheran school right out of high school. Not just any Lutheran school, but the one that I had attended. I worked as a teacher’s assistant for many years while I attended college. While I was there, the opportunity came up for me to take over teaching a class. My dream was finally coming true! I was a teacher at that school for 7 years. I was sure that I was going to work there until I died. I had no thought of ever leaving there. My friends and family were there, why would I leave? Well, life and God had other plans. That small school that I had attended and worked at for almost my entire life, closed. I was lost. I had no job, no church and my friends were scattered.
Even though I felt lost, I knew that God was there. I had to lean into His path for me. I was able to find a job right as my money was about to run out. It wasn’t a fit for me, but it was a way for me to pay the bills for 8 months. Then God led me to a Christian preschool where I worked for almost 5 years. It was a great experience and I am very thankful for the blessings God gave me through that job, but I was ready to reenter Lutheran teaching.
God led me to the school where I am currently teaching. The school where my nephews were attending and my stepmom was working. I have been blessed through this school. The experience has not always been free from stress and worry, but it has always been filled with God’s blessings. He has blessed me with the ability to teach His children the Good News. I was able to be my nephew’s teacher for 3 years (that came with plenty of blessings and some challenges!). He has also blessed me with my best friends. All of these things would never have happened if I hadn’t had to struggle through the difficult times. If my original plan had happened, if I had stayed in my “safe” place, I would not have been able to experience all that God had planned for me. By trusting in God and following His path, I have been blessed beyond anything I could have ever hoped for.
It’s not always easy to trust in the Lord and be ready to follow where He leads, but it is important to remember that He knows what’s best for us. He will not lead us in the wrong direction. He is there to show us the way. Trust in Him and you will find your life is blessed.
Heather Newcom, Prince of Peace, Anaheim, CA