In the past few weeks, my mom has been setting up her classroom at a new elementary school and preparing for a room full of crazy little kids. I have helped her organize and make signs, plan for the things to come and make sure that everything is perfect, ready for the first day of school. We finished setting up her classroom this past weekend and it was such a relief. The week before, we had moved houses, so life has just been a little chaotic.
Yesterday, I decided to take my siblings to the zoo so that we could get out of the house for a few hours and spend some quality time together before I leave for the Race. After a long day of walking, I got home and plopped down on the couch. Just as I began to fall asleep I received a call from my mom, informing me that she had been told there were not enough students at the school she was supposed to be at and they decided to move her to a different school in the district. The catch was that we had to have the classroom completely moved and set up in less than 24 hours.
I frantically began unpacking boxes that we had moved from our old home and hadn’t yet unpacked. My mom began calling friends and family and asking for help to pack and unpack her classroom. Within an hour, we had dropped my siblings off at a friends house and were already at the elementary school packing everything into boxes. At 9:30 pm we finished packing and took the first load over to the new school. Some family met us there to help unload, and an old friend who works at my mom’s new school came to unlock the doors for us.
This morning I got up and arrived at the old elementary school to begin loading the car with the remaining items. When I got to the school my uncle and an old family friend were there, ready and willing to help. After 2 hours loading 4 cars full, we drove to the new school where some friends from church and other teachers had gathered to unload the cars and move everything into the classroom.
We now had 3 hours to unpack everything, arrange all of the furniture, put up the bulletin boards, and attempt to make the place look somewhat presentable.
As time passed, it all began to come together. There wasn’t a huge stack of boxes in the corner anymore. It quickly began to resemble a classroom, ready to welcome 20 little kindergarten students into the next stage of their life.
Today I saw the church. Not the physical building that we commonly refer to as the church. But a body of people who had love and compassion, ready to jump in and help my mom, a friend in need. This is who Jesus calls us to be. It is not supposed to be convenient. It is not supposed to be easy. It is not supposed to be perfect. But the church is a group of people ready to come alongside one another and help a friend in need.
I honestly have no idea how we got it all done in time for all of the students and their parents to come for meet the teacher tonight at 4 pm. But, what I do know, is that the Lord has given us a great set of friends and family that we have the privilege to call, our church, in times of need.
The new classroom just before meet the teacher today!
