Yesterday I spent a good part of the day at the #140EDU conference which was being streamed in NYC. I was trained formally as an educator, I specialized in the field of gifted education with emphasis on learning disorders. My real world experience ranged from PK learners to post graduate ones over 23 years.
I have to say I love teaching and I love working with learners, parents, communities, colleges and teachers… It was part of the best of my life and continues to be today as I facilitate learning strategies with individuals, schools, and state systems at times during the year. The day was full of encouraging and enlarging speakers. At the end of the day however, I found that as much as I loved the #140edu Conference I found that once again I was torn. Educational reform is a topic I am passionate about. It matters. However, educational reform is not my primary focus at this point in my life, though it is always a favorite uncle in my energy. The topic and path is seductive, passionate, and would be so easy to engage in full time….there’s just one problem…
God hasn’t asked me to do it…
My chosen focus at this point is not to be a liberator, a national presence, a large group gatherer, but to be a hands on, shoulder it with you resource as God puts people in front of me. It seems to be what brings peace as I fight to remain in that space…it’s funny, the work is harder, the hours are sometimes longer, the sense of it is something I have difficulty grasping. God doesn’t seem to mind that it doesn’t make sense to me. (and don’t you know I feel the same way when my child can’t make sense of why I asked him to do this or that)
As much as I appreciate that going in front of large groups and passionately creating attention to needed change is important, it’s not where I am led to often spend my time, despite invitations. I do it when its necessary, when it is meaningful, when its effectively going to change something, but for the most part I prefer working with folks not follies. Too many times it becomes about the production, not the people.
It perhaps is like the child who started throwing back the sand dollars one at a time into the ocean. When told that he couldn’t save them all, he turned and wisely said “but it made a huge difference for this one didn’t it…as he put the sand dollar back in the water” Children’s lives are at stake, people’s businesses are at risk, families are trying to survive…. at this stage in my life I am called upon often to speak to crowds, to share my passion for topics…and I am honored to be asked…but at this time, this moment, what matters to me is that we work on focusing on the people God puts before us….even if it’s one at a time…not very glamorous, and definitely not applauded….
especially the applauded part…
obedience isn’t often glamorous…
