I went for a walk tonight. I hadn’t planned on it really. I was on my way back from helping my son drop off his car at the repair shop for the second time this week and as I took the curve, I found myself pulling into the parking lot of a church on the route home.   The sunset was gorgeous and I knew that a little fresh air would do me good.

I’ve found I’m a bit huffy these days. Yep. Moi. I am quite the huffy one on the inside but at least I’m kind of aware of why. My to do list has felt a mile long as I anticipate the start of the 2019-2020 school year tomorrow at our year round school.  All day I knew that I needed a walk and some fresh air and kept busying myself with other things. And my  huffiness grew.

As I parked the car in the church parking lot and looked up at the waxing moon, me and my huffy self’s first thought was…who does that?  Who schedules our first day back to at school in JULY…and during the week of a full moon no less! I mean what in the world?  Talk about setting up for a rough week.

But as I walked on the soft grass, and felt the slight breeze…as I looked at the wide open spaces and colors of the open sky, well, I realized this was the most important thing to do that was not on my to do list for sure.

My to do list was long, but when I added these things…well, somehow it seemed a lot shorter…and a heck of a lot more manageable.

I know I sound like a spoiled brat  not wanting to start back at school. I love my job, but there’s just something super unnatural about starting school in July. It doesn’t help that I worked the weeks off and have just felt a bit spent. When we’re spent, we’ve gotta figure out how to fill back up…and it takes way more than talking…

It’s not about the knowing I’ve gotta take a walk, it’s the walking…

It’s not about knowing that I need to take a deep breath, it’s  the breathing…

It’s not about the needing to focus on truth, it’s the focusing…

It’s not about the knowing I need to get some rest, it’s the resting…

It’s not about knowing that I need to pray through, it’s the praying…

it’s not about knowing that I need to take a deep breath, it’s the breathing…

It’s not about knowing that I need to be prepared for my school day of school with the students, it’s the preparing…

It’s not about saying that I need to be thankful, it’s the thanking. Gratitude has a  way of changing things…

It’s not about the knowing and the talking, it’s about the doing and the walking…

Faith is not about the talking, it’s about the trusting God with the big and the little… and being sure to live in the moment and in the space where my feet are, right here, right now.  Inviting God to walk with us in the midst of it all is walking by faith.

That’s why it is IMPERATIVE that the things on my to do list that need to take  precedence are some of the things that I will never write down. But praying through, and breathing in, and walking around, and keeping eyes wide open in wide open spaces—those are some of the most important things that I can do to prepare to be all in in my classroom.

And here’s the thing…many of the students are who are returning to school tomorrow are probably feeling a bit huffy themselves. They might be walking through those doors with lots of things they are carrying. They might just  need a teacher to help them breathe in and out, or walk outside for a few minutes, or laugh at a funny joke. They might need a teacher to help them see that it’s okay to have huffy times, but there are things we can do to melt those huffy breaths away.  I have a feeling they might just need a teacher who not only  tells them about it, but one who knows she needs it  too and does it with them. Sometimes knowing our need is a good thing.

And I definitely know my need…

I’m just thankful I know to Whom I can take them ❤

Blessings ~

Heather

“Cast your cares on the Lord for He cares for You.”  I  Peter 5:7