1“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
2 “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." Matthew 6:1-4
It’s Teacher Appreciation Week! I cannot believe that we are so near to the end of our school year, but here we are. It is so nice to be spoiled all week with lots of treats and meals and jeans days and hand-written thank you notes! Our job is tough, but these little things can be such an encouragement to keep on keepin’ on.
I just want to say thank you to each and every one of the teachers that work with my children. I appreciate all you do--the lesson plans, the grading, the encouragement, the reminders, the challenges to do more, the high expectations you hold them to. Thank you for all the meetings you sit through to become a better teacher for them. Thank you for taking the time to get to know them and their personalities, for learning their strengths and their weaknesses. Thank you for putting up with them on their bad days because I know how trying they can be! Thank you for all you do to help them be successful in school and in life. I can't say it enough: Thank you!
And to all my co-workers: Thank you for living this life with me, for being my sounding board, for offering help and giving advice, for laughing with me, crying with me, for pushing me to be the best I can be for the kids, for encouraging me and lifting me up, and for praying for me! I get to work with such an AMAZING group of people, and I cannot imagine doing this job without you all!
And thank you to all the wonderful teachers who taught me and shaped me into the person I am today. Each of you left a mark and influenced me.
Our job is like no other! And, in my opinion, it is getting harder and harder as demands increase from every front -- children, parents, school boards, state education agencies and policy makers. Everyone expects teachers to accomplish so much just in one school year. Everyone knows we don’t get paid well. We’re not usually acknowledged for all our efforts. And yet we can have an impact that is immeasurable, and we may not even know the difference we’ve made for our students.
I think it’s safe to say that many, many teachers serve selflessly without any kind of recognition. But that doesn’t mean that it is completely unnoticed.
Jesus encouraged his followers to give generously and to do it secretly. He told them that those who give of themselves in order to be honored by men have received all the reward they are going to get. But those who give with a heart of humility, who give because they want to serve others, who over and over again give and do for others behind the scenes, they will be rewarded by God.
So thank you for all the things you do that no one notices. Thank you for serving your students and their families every week of the year, even when no one was thanking you. Thank you for pouring yourselves out as an offering in a true act of worship every single day that you enter your classroom. God sees you, even when no one else does, and His rewards are so worth the wait!
Father God, I thank You for all of the teachers you’ve placed in my life. May they feel Your presence and know that You see them each and every day. May they know Your love and grace. May Your joy flow through them as they serve in their classrooms. Help us to keep a proper perspective and to continue to humbly serve in whatever ways You lead, not to be recognized by others, but to please and honor You.
