It was one of those days. You know the type of day. The day where you would give anything to trade spaces with anyone, yes those days happen on the race. On top of that it was a MONDAY. I knew that I had to be in a second grade class with about 45 children from the Swazi community that we had been teaching. The last couple of times that I had been in the classroom it had been all right but mostly because their teacher had been there. This particular Monday I had a bad attitude and knew that I would be teaching all day solo. Also most of the children partially understood English so this fueled my attitude that particular day.
The children arrived with their faces full of smiles. They were a little mischievous but nothing I didn’t think I could handle. I had made so many great plans that I knew they would love. One after another my plans failed and I ended up frustrated and wishing I was snuggled up in our
“hobbit hole.”
Arriving to school the sounds of the children singing echoed across the mountains. Entering the classroom with what seemed like a plan, cheerfully I began to teach. Loosing control within hours it was like a train wreck and I was the conductor. I had lost all patience, none of the children were listening and I had almost given up hope…
When BATS began to fly.
The room erupted. Children were on their desks, hanging from the walls and shrieking tones that were louder then banshee shouts. I stood there, like those movies where the main character is in slow motion and everything around is on super speed.
Seriously bats!
I calmed the children down and decided it was best to just go play outside. We spent the rest of the day laughing, spinning and playing soccer amongst the beauty of the mountains.
I may have failed as a teacher that day and after surpassing my major attitude I was reminded that those precious students were children who just needed love. It took two God sent bats and a ridiculous moment to remember that those children were why God had sent me.
God has a sense of humor especially when we live in our attitudes. I was so self focused and rooted in my own agenda I couldn’t see what God was doing until He sent bats to mix things up amongst forty-five Swazi children.
Later looking at the mountains surrounding our living quarters there God made us laugh again. A cow had its neck through the border fence and its teeth were entangled with a towel. My team mate Amy and I ran like lightning to save the towel. The cow turned around and pooped on the towel. All Amy and I could do was laugh.
God has a sense of humor we just have to find the courage to laugh. To let go and get past ourselves. In that laughter joy becomes contagious and you forget about what you were once so angsty about that doesn’t even really matter.
So just go laugh. A good deep belly laugh. I know I do every time I think of bats and towel eating cows.
You are loved.
#TeamAsh
It’s funny how when you go some place in the world you leave a little piece of your heart. For me Africa has the biggest chunk of my heart- especially EL SHADDAI.
