And this one. . . And this one. . .

Last Friday morning was my 19th first day of school as a professional educator and it really has become one of my favorite days of the school year.

Most of our students are dressed nicely, have smiles on their faces, and are happy to see one another and the school staff.  It’s always fun to see who has changed the most, who has gotten taller, or who looks more like an adult.  Even more fun is watching a new group of 9th graders try to feel their way around, looking more like baby deer figuring out four legs than a group of teenagers.

For me, it is a pretty busy day at the end of a string of long and busy days leading up to it.  Two years ago, as the beginning of my first full year as Principal was only moments away, I felt led to start at one end of my school and pray for every classroom.

Early in the morning, while I was still the only person in the building, I did just that.  I prayed for our teachers, our educational assistants, our office staff, our cafeteria ladies, the custodians, and our students.  What started that day as a spur of the moment divine prompting has morphed into a tradition for me, personally.  I end up scrambling to put the few final details for the morning together due to me spending what amounts to 20 minutes roaming the campus in prayer.

I don’t tell you this so that you can think that I am more spiritual than I really am or for a pat on the back or for any other reason than to lay down this challenge:

Won’t you join me?

Our students come in today with more emotional and mental baggage than any time in our country’s history.

Our teachers and staff members come to school each day now with more pressure and a higher level of scrutiny than ever before.

Our support staff, office workers, and those that work in any other aspect of our campuses at schools in communities everywhere walk in with more weighing them down than we can ever imagine.

So pray for. . .

The girl that thinks she will never look as enticing as what she sees on Instagram.

The guy that visited his father in prison over the weekend.

The young man that struggles with his identity.

The teacher whose mother is battling terminal illness.

The staff member who filed for divorce last week.

The girl that can’t figure out how to end an abusive relationship.

The guy that doesn’t know how to end the cycle of gang membership in his family.

The teacher whose daughter doesn’t speak to him anymore.

The guy that was late this morning after working until midnight last night.

The girl that gets her brothers and sisters on the bus because she can’t wake her mom up in the mornings.

The guy that feels like nothing he does is good enough for his dad.

The girl that wonders if she will ever have the guts to just end it.

The list could go on. . . and on. . . and on.

 

Just pray for our students.

 

Just pray for the adult influences placed in their path this school year.

 

Just pray that God makes the 2019-2020 school year one that changes a life for the better.

That He puts the right adult in the path of that student that needs it.

Or that He puts the right student in the path of the adult that can’t do without it.

“As for me, I vow that I will not sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you.”
I Samuel 12:23(a)