“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,
nor be weary when reproved by him.
For the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
and chastises every son whom he receives.”
It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline?
Hebrews 12:1-7 ESV
In the midst of all the grizzly details of my life, I have been asking myself questions that feel draining:
What should I cook for dinner tonight?
Will so-and-so pass their biology class?
How can I teach that math concept better?
Why does so-and-so seem to be more moody lately?
Why I am always stressed?
What should I do this weekend?
.....and on and on they go.
But God is graciously helping me refocus on the bigger picture and has been reminding me about what motivated me to come to serve in this ministry in the first place. I am working on asking myself different questions now, and I find them uplifting rather than draining:
How is God using you to help individual students and impacting their lives?
How is this supporting their families?
How is this impacting their ministries and the spread of the gospel?
....and these help me look up to the big God we serve.
This Thanksgiving I am thankful for what God is teaching me through his Word. I am thankful for the areas of growth God is calling me to, even though they are hard. I am thankful for the book on prayer by Timothy Keller that I am reading. I am thankful for the prayers of supporters, friends, and family that God hears and answers. I am thankful for the daily strength he has given so I can make it through each day. I am thankful for the joy I find in working with students. I am thankful for the wisdom God has given me in hard situations at work. I am thankful for the support of coworkers and friends here. I am thankful we serve a compassionate and caring God, who not only provides what we need physically, but also leads us in sanctification and continues to draw us closer to himself. I am thankful God does not easily give up on any of us, myself nor my students.
My mom was able to come and visit for three weeks from the end of October through the beginning of November. It was wonderful having her here. She was also able to volunteer at the school and help one of my new resource teachers. The time with her was very refreshing and has helped give me strength to make it through the final weeks leading up to Christmas break. Unfortunately, right before my mom left, my supervisor went out on medical leave, for an indefinite amount of time. She has had a number of tests run but, as of Friday, the doctors were still looking for answers. Myself, and three others in the Academic Support Department are now sharing different parts of her role. I have also recently been handling a difficult situation at school, of which I cannot give details, but would appreciate prayer. On a more uplifting note, I am so thankful to have my weekly time with my small group girls as we study the book of James together. They have good questions and deep discussions after we go through a passage together, and I am encouraged by their desire to better understand scripture. I am also so grateful for how so many of my students bring a willingness to learn, inspire of the challenges they face, and a joy to our time together. Their laughter and learning brighten my days.
Please Pray For...
Healing for my supervisor and answers as to what is wrong
Strength for the staff and students as we approach the final weeks before break
Wisdom for administration in handling the challenging situation
Joy in Christ for both the difficulties as well as the blessings
Opportunities to speak with my students about the gospel and Christ
Praise God with me for...
The blessing of my mom's visit
The times with my small group girls as we study the book of James
Support of friends here and at home
If you would like to make a monthly pledge or other financial contribution at this time please click on this link or enter the web address: give.teachbeyond.org/support/rebecca-swanson/ You can designate giving for Rebecca Swanson or account number 40335.