Teach to Love

by Che Parson, the Czech Republic

My students crave something tangible, something they can see, touch, smell. God is intangible to them, so they say they can't believe, and it breaks my heart. And I think, "God, how can they see you? How can I give them a taste of what I know?"

I know that prayer is the most important thing.  I can do nothing on my own strength. But in addition to prayer, I can be tangible to them. I am a vessel for Christ.

As I was reading in Jeremiah about the marred clay that the Potter fashioned into something useful, I looked up at the top of our kitchen cabinets and saw a line of pottery mugs, handmade by my college professor.

I thought, I am as a mug in the hand of God, to be used for whatever He desires. Christ makes Himself tangible through me, but only when I let His love flow through this marred vessel of mine. I can let the Light spill from me, so they can hear, touch, see, smell the Reality.

I think of places in the Bible that tell who we are in Christ. We are an aroma of Christ. We are the light. These are tangible things. God is the Creator, and I love how He uses His Creation to speak of Himself.

And I want to tell other teachers, "You are the Light. You are the broken vessel that the Light can seep out of." And I'm speaking also to myself.

I know how inadequate I am. How incapable to love on my own. But, I have found that if I simply say, every day, "God, I can't do it. But you can. Love my students through me," He's faithful.

I found one tangible way to love my students this year was in one of my class rules.  Last year, one of my rules was "no cheating." This year, I changed that rule to "mistakes are ok---so you don't have to cheat."

My students have found a freedom in that, and they love to tell me, when I make mistakes, "It's ok Miss Parson, mistakes are ok."

I'm thankful that they can have a glimpse of the mercy of God with this simple rule. I want them to know that it's okay to fail.  They are still loved; their worth isn't in how they perform. They put so much faith and hope in man and education, rather than in God, the Father who is full of mercies for them.

So I want to tell teachers, "Be real. Let your students see your humanness. They crave reality. And the most real thing you can offer them is the love of Jesus and His desire for them despite their failures."

I can't help but smile when I stand before my students. It's like a supernatural joy comes over me.  I can't hold it back, even when I'm dead tired. I believe it's Jesus' love spilling through me, His passionate love for the hearts of my students.

So, everyday, He can love on my students through me. And then, I just wait. And live in hope. And I live to love. Before, I thought that I loved to teach, which is true, but I have found that, by the power of Jesus in me, I teach to love.