You know, I originally went to school to become a teacher. I saw the movie Freedom Writers and I wanted to be just like Hillary Swank in that movie. I wanted to teach students and inspire them. I wanted broken children to know that there is more to life.
But, after I went to Kenya the first time, sitting in a classroom for 4 years was the last thing I wanted to do. I wanted to be out in the world doing SOMETHING. I wanted to make a difference immediately. I didn’t want to wait for a piece of paper to finally live life to the fullest.
So, here I am… 4 years later. No degree. No tangible accomplishments. Most of the people I went to high school and started college with have that piece of paper that shows their hard work and dedication to education. What do I have to show for myself?
This question has haunted me this month.
So, I look back on the last 4 years. And I don’t have much to show for myself. But, I have realized that it isn’t about me. It isn’t about what I have done or endured. It isn’t about the means to an end that college is. It isn’t about a piece of paper. It isn’t about me.
This month we taught English in a small village in Cambodia. It felt so good to be a teacher. I thought to myself, “I finally have something to show for myself.” But, I am not going to sit here and tell you all of the new English words that these children know or that their test scores were incredible because of my teaching. No, that is not what this month was about. This month, these children were loved. They were cared about. They smiled, laughed, and danced. These children had fun. Most importantly, every child in my classroom was exposed to Christ’s love.
and memories of smiling faces galore.
More importantly, what will the next 4 years look like?
