“Shattered Dreams” exercise

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Three students were absent from my class this morning, and one other was listed on a private memo as “living dead” and could be pulled from class without notice at any moment. The high school where I teach a dual-credit Texas Government class for the local community college was conducting a Shattered Dreams exercise. The three missing students were involved in a faux drunk-driving scenario designed to startle kids into compliance with underage drinking laws.

I know it was just a performance, and I know it was geared toward the students, but it was troublesome to try to teach my class with three kids out and knowing that one could “drop dead” at any moment. I’ve had enough grief in my life to have to deal with fake grief, too.

The good news about my class is that my “observation” day was last week, and I’ve already received some positive (albeit informal … the official report will follow) feedback. That made me feel good! 🙂  I’m enjoying teaching, but I’m still working out the kinks in lesson planning and whatnot. Some days, I think I learn as much as they do! 🙂

Back to the Shattered Dreams exercise … it’s just one more stark reminder to cherish each day. Don’t take it for granted. If there’s someone you have on your heart who you feel like you ought to write or call, don’t procrastinate. Let them know that you care, because we aren’t promised tomorrow.

Strive for restoration (Prayer Devotional for the week of March 24, 2013)

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When I was a teenager, my dad and I talked about restoring an old car together. It was going to be a circa mid-1960s Ford Mustang, and I was going to paint it powder blue with metallic flecks. For one reason or another, we never got around to doing the project, but I’ve always thought it would have been cool. I used to change my own oil, and I can replace a flat tire in record time, so restoring a car sounded like a fun challenge. (Besides, I had a tomboyish stubborn streak and wanted to prove to my guy friends that a girl is quite capable of doing such things, thankyouverymuch.)

Restoration is not a simple undertaking. A project like that would take specialized tools and numerous trips to the parts store and junk yard. It would take initiative to begin and commitment to see the project through to completion. It would involve time, effort, sweat, money, broken fingernails and lots of grease. In short, it isn’t a casual, weekend fixer-upper kind of project … and neither is restoration of a different sort.

When we think about the changes that have taken place (and still need to take place, if we’re honest) in our lives after getting to know Jesus, I don’t think “overhaul” is too radical of a term to use. Christ has wrenched out the rusty, broken, irreparable parts of our sin-riddled hearts and restored us anew. He has transformed us from feeling like junkyard scrap to knowing that we are his prized treasures.

In his closing remarks to the church in Corinth, Paul advises the Christians there to “aim for restoration” in their dealings with one another (2 Corinthians 13:11a, ESV). Another translation says to “keep things in good repair” (MSG). As we do life together as a church family, we would do well to remember to keep our relationships in good repair and strive to restore them when they need fixing. It is through this deliberate act of unity that we will positively impact the world around us (John 13:35, 17:23).