First grade is a big year. One that may cause some anxiety in moms and in kids. For many kids it is the first full day away from home. For many moms it is the first time an adult and non-family member will have such a great impact on the child.
First grade can be a little scary.
During the spring and summer, I prayed for the perfect teacher: nurturing, compassionate, and encouraging. I did my due diligence and filled out the form and described the “type” of teacher with whom my son would thrive. I checked the box to identify teacher gender: female.
Since Jake was attending public school, I couldn’t say, ” A teacher who loves the Lord.” But I could pray about it. I did my best to ensure he was going to be in a classroom with a loving, Christian woman as his teacher.
The envelope containing the beginning of the year information arrived. Jake and I tore it open. My eyes scanned down to the bottom of the page. “Mr. Aamot” MISTER! I sucked air and felt as if I took a direct hit to the gut. Didn’t the administrator read my female request? That was one identifier that the school never overlooked. Strange.
Didn’t God hear my prayer?
How could both the school and the Lord have messed up my request?
I put up a good front for my son. “Cool, a guy teacher. You’ll have a fun year.” He seemed OK with the idea. I wasn’t quite there yet. Parents were comparing notes as to what children were in what classroom. I was getting good feedback from parents with older students. “Oh, you’ll like Mr. Aamot. He’s great with the kids.” I was reserving judgment.
Back to School Night for the parents was held a couple of weeks after school began. As I sat in the little first grade desk, I listened to Mr. Aamot talk. He had a quiet, gentle way about him. A fun little twinkle in his eye that told me he loved the kids and being a teacher. He continued saying, “I was born in Brazil. My parents were missionaries.” Wait…what? Then I heard him say that he attended a Christian college. And..as it turned out, he and I had a couple mutual friends!
God had interceded. Where I had deliberately checked female-somehow God had blinded the principal to that request. My son got a teacher who was nurturing, compassionate, encouraging, and Christian! All packaged into one incredible male teacher! The perfect fit.
Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.
Proverbs 19:21
© LoriWildenberg. All rights reserved.
About the Author
Lori Wildenberg is a licensed parent and family educator, parent coach, and co-founder of 1Corinthians13 Parenting.com. She has written 6 books including Messy Journey: How Grace and Truth Offer the Prodigal a Way Home; The Messy Life of Parenting: Powerful and Practical Ways to Strengthen Family Connections; and her most recent book, Messy Hope: Help Your Child Overcome Anxiety, Depression, or Suicidal Ideation. Contact Lori for your next event or for parent consulting or parent training courses. Lori can also be found mentoring over at the MOMS Together Group on Facebook.
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