Consider The Birds

“Consider the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?... Therefore, do not worry, saying ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.” (Matthew 6:26+31)

Things around here have been crazy in the last couple of weeks which will serve as my explanation as to why I have not posted in nearly a month! With all the school activities and busy weekend schedules my normal routine has been almost completely thrown off. I am definitely not complaining though! The month of September flew by and was such an exciting time for social and personal growth. September solidified my place here at Riverside. It was through interactions at school and with friends that I truly felt a part of the community here; whether someone said a kind word or I found an encouraging note in my mailbox or someone left me a birthday surprise I was continually feeling the love of people around me. All of these things not only proved the genuine spirit of those at Riverside, but it also went to show the incredible love of the LORD.  I feel like I have known some of these people for such a long time and the depth of my relationships are growing in such meaningful ways. God is so good!

On a personal growth level, the verse at the top of this post continued to come to the forefront of my devotions and rightly so. Even though I was not consciously worried about “tomorrow” Jesus knew each and every one of the fears that I was still carrying with me about being at Riverside. He never said things were going to be easy but he does say very strongly, “Do not worry about your life”. I have a tendency to want to know the future. I am constantly asking God questions about what I am supposed to do or what I am supposed to be. I think it is my controlling type “A” personality that contributes to this longing to know everything I possibly can about what is going to happen next, but as always that is the part that God is refining in me. I am taking a lesson from the birds of that air that tomorrow has enough worries of its own. The LORD has been very specific to teach me to live in contentment in the present, as one of the birds of the air. And so the teaching begins! I am learning to be content in the good, fulfilling times and the difficult times because I know that God knows and even cares for my needs. He has been so faithful to provide and I know that he will continue to satisfy my every need whether I worry about it or not.

Finally, I am still learning to not worry about school things. God has been giving me incredible opportunities to share my life with the kids in my classes. Although it is more frightening than I thought to be transparent with students I am finding that the more I am clear about my life the more willing they are to open up about their lives. I have occasionally worried that I will not know what to say or I will not be able to identify with a problem they are facing, again over and over God has been faithful in using me as a vessel for his truth to be spoken into the lives of the students with whom I come in contact.

All in all I can say that although things at school are becoming challenging I am more confident every day that the LORD is preparing something great for Riverside and for the students!