The God Who Sees

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Teachers are trained to build relationships with students, particularly those students whose behavior or lack of motivation makes them more challenging to teach. One of the strategies I have been taught to use is to simply notice things about these students.

“I notice you got your hair cut last night!”

“I have been noticing how you always wait quietly in line.”

“I have noticed that you like to play on the swings at recess.”

Sometimes, all it takes is a few of these “I notice” comments to completely change the dynamic with a student. We all want to know that someone notices us - that someone cares enough to pay attention to what we do.  It doesn't necessarily have to be a compliment or statement of approval, even.  Just letting them know that we see them makes a difference.

In Genesis 16, Abram and Sarai began to doubt God’s word to them that they would have a son. Or at least Sarai doubted that it was to be her son. So she gave Abram her servant Hagar, and when Hagar became pregnant with Abram's child, Sarai mistreated her so much that Hagar ran away.

Caught in the middle of a messy situation that was not of her own design, I can imagine that she felt overwhelmed with loneliness and rejection. She was in a desperate situation with no hope for help from anyone. As she was alone in the desert, however, God spoke to her.  Genesis 16: 7-13 says:

7 The angel of the Lord found Hagar near a spring in the desert; it was the spring that is beside the road to Shur. 8 And he said, “Hagar, slave of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?”

“I’m running away from my mistress Sarai,” she answered.

9 Then the angel of the Lord told her, “Go back to your mistress and submit to her.” 10 The angel added, “I will increase your descendants so much that they will be too numerous to count.”

11 The angel of the Lord also said to her:
“You are now pregnant
and you will give birth to a son.
You shall name him Ishmael,
for the Lord has heard of your misery.
12 He will be a wild donkey of a man;
his hand will be against everyone
and everyone’s hand against him,
and he will live in hostility
toward all his brothers.”

13 She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.”

As much as Hagar felt that she was all alone in the world, God saw her. He saw her pain and her misery, and He made sure she knew it. He didn’t have a completely positive message for her -- although she was promised more descendants than one could count, her son’s future would hold conflict and hostility. And she was instructed to go back and submit to the mistress who had been mistreating her. But Hagar did not despair over those details. She was relieved simply by knowing that God saw her. This knowledge gave her the strength and courage to return and to endure her difficult situation.

You and I may never experience an encounter like Hagar did with the angel of the Lord speaking directly to us, but we can know from her story that our God is a God who sees. He sees our pain and heartache. He sees our past and our future. God is at work in ways we cannot even imagine--maybe He even plans to use the painful trial for His glory and our good.  No matter our situation or how God plans to use it, we are not alone. 

But others around us may very much feel that way. Is it possible that we could speak hope into their lives? Could we bring them some measure of relief simply by noticing their situation, their pain, their heartache? Could God use us to show someone else that He sees them?

I think so, if we are willing to really look at those around me, if we are available and ready to take the opportunity to do so. And I challenge you to do just that this week -- be someone who sees.

God, thank You for always seeing our hearts. Thank You for taking the time to reach out to us and make Your presence known. Help us to be Your messengers this week. Help us to notice the hurting souls around us and to take the opportunity to speak to them. Give us the words they need to hear to bring them Your assurance and Your hope.

Seeking Him

30 For my eyes have seen your salvation,
31 which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and the glory of your people Israel.” Luke 2:30-32

This year, I have a group of students who really likes to try to pull one over on me. At one point, I have to admit, they were pretty successful. They entered the room as I was finishing something at my computer and when I quickly finished, I realized that one of them was missing. But I was almost certain I had seen him come in the room. After I stepped to the hallway to check on him and then re-entered the classroom, the giggles gave it away. He had crawled under a table in the back of my room, pulled a chair in front of him, and sat there in hiding while I searched.

Now, of course, after that attempt was such a success, for the next couple of weeks I regularly caught one or the other of them trying to hide again. But I was on to their game now! Now, I know exactly what to watch for. I know where to look, too.

Sometimes I am tempted to think that God is a little like that -- hiding from sight so that it is difficult to see Him. I mean, I have never experienced a visible presence or an audible voice -- no burning bush or “angel of the Lord” appearance.

But I know that God clearly says if we seek Him, we will find him. (See Jeremiah 29:13 for just one example.) God promises to be found when we truly set our hearts to finding Him. But we have to seek. We have to be looking. For me, it seems like this is a practiced habit. I am learning what to watch for and where to look. I am learning to be a better “seeker.”

In the Christmas story in Matthew 2, we are told that wise men from the east traveled long and far, following a star that had appeared. They came to Jerusalem looking for the newborn King of the Jews. I’ve always wondered exactly how they knew the meaning of that star’s appearance. We don’t really know, for sure. But it strikes me that the Jews had not noticed this sign. Surely the star was visible to them, as well, but they had to ask these foreigners for details of the star’s appearance. It seems they had not noticed this star, nor did they know the reason for its appearance.

Not that there weren’t any Jews who were waiting and watching for signs of the coming Messiah. Luke tells us of two by name who saw the baby Jesus with Mary and Joseph at the temple, Anna and Simeon. These two both recognized that Jesus was the Messiah and proclaimed the news to those in the temple. We are told that Simeon had been told that he would not die before he had seen the Messiah, and so he was watching and waiting for that promise to come true. And Anna never left the temple courts, fasting and praying, and when she saw Jesus, she began to tell everyone who was waiting for the redemption of Israel about this child.

And yet, the religious leaders missed it. The political leaders missed it. Many of the people missed it. Why? In my opinion, it was because they weren’t looking for Him. They weren’t seeking. They weren’t watching and waiting like the Magi, Simeon, and Anna were.

I feel like this is a lesson God is trying to teach me. In those moments when I question, “God, where are You in this?” I need to stop and focus on seeking Him. The Magi would never have seen the star if they didn’t spend some time looking at the sky. I cannot presume to see God working around me if I never stop to look for Him. If I never spend time in His word and in prayer, I am not likely to find Him. But I know I can rely on His promise -- if I seek Him, I will find Him. And so will you.

Father God, thank You for making Yourself known. Thank You for showing Yourself to us. Jesus, thank You for coming to earth to live and to die that we might know You and be reconciled to You. Help us to consciously seek You, and as we do, teach us where to look and how to find You. Guide us as we search for Your hand at work in us and around us each day.

Immanuel, God With Us

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22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). Matthew 1:22-23

December is here! I love how excited the kids at school get about Christmas. The anticipation of the coming break from school, holiday gift exchanges, and parties - not to mention Santa and all his “Elf on the Shelf” operatives with their regular shenanigans - is almost more than the kids can stand! (And some days, honestly, it is way more than a teacher can handle!)

It is so easy to lose sight of the reason behind all the celebration--the coming of our Lord and Savior, Immanuel, God with us. My brain has a hard time wrapping around the idea that Jesus came to earth and took on the form of a lowly human, giving up His glory and position to redeem sinners like me. He came to be with us and to make a way for us to forever be with Him.

Last week, our Bible study at church was on the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Do you know their story? Three young Jews of noble birth who were taken captive to Babylon from Judah and trained in the Babylonian king’s palace in order to serve in his government took a stand and refused to bow to the golden image the king had ordered everyone to worship. They knew the penalty -- death by fiery furnace. But they boldly refused the king’s command, proclaiming their faith in God to save them if He so chose. And so the furnace was stoked, and they were thrown in. 

24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, “Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?”

They replied, “Certainly, Your Majesty.”

25 He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.” Daniel 3:24-25

The king calls to them, and they walk away from the flames without even smelling of smoke.

As I studied this familiar story, I was struck by the way God chose to save these young men. He did not prevent them from being brought before the king. He did not keep them from being thrown in the fire. He did not put the fire out. Instead, He met them in the fire and protected them from the heat. God was with them in that furnace, and even a ruthless, brutal, unbelieving king gave God the praise and glory for it.

You may be facing your own personal fiery furnace right now. It may look and feel a lot different than the physical furnace of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. You are not likely having to defy a king’s orders and face execution. Maybe though, your furnace is a difficult relationship or family situation. Maybe it’s a work setting that is hostile toward you. Maybe it’s a bleak medical diagnosis for you or a loved one. Maybe it’s the grief of losing someone dear to you. Perhaps it is a mountain of debt that you cannot possibly repay. Maybe it’s something different altogether, but a situation where you see no hope of coming out ahead. Whatever the situation, please know that God is with you. Immanuel has come. He may not choose to provide the miracle that you are praying for -- at least not in the way you have asked. But He is with you, and He has a plan to work even this awful situation for your good and His glory. 

Maybe it’s not you in that fiery furnace situation, but is someone you know there? Could God be calling you to stand with someone else - to provide her love, encouragement, and support in the middle of her trial? You may never know just how much a kind word, a whispered prayer, or a quiet presence could help someone in the midst of their flames. God may use you to remind that person that He truly is Immanuel -- God with us.

Father God, we are so thankful for Your presence in our lives. You have promised to be with us always. Help us to trust You more and to boldly proclaim our faith even in the middle of our fires. Give us the strength to lean on You when things are hard. And help us to be there for each other, reminding one another that You are always our Immanuel.

Showing Gratitude

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3 I thank God, whom I serve, as my ancestors did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. 4 Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy. 5 I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also. 2 Timothy 1: 3-5
Only a few more days until Thanksgiving! And only one more day of school this week -- for us, anyway!

Last week, the sweetest little note appeared taped onto the box that hangs outside my classroom. It is shaped like a leaf and says, “I am thankful for Mrs. Schroer.” Inside a student wrote a heartwarming little note saying he was thankful for the work I do with him and his classmates. That is so precious to me!

I have to admit: I am not very good at thanking other people for the impact they make on my life. I know I should. Sometimes I even think about words to say or people I want to thank. But more often than not, I fail to follow through. I’m ashamed of that. I have so many people in my life that are such a blessing to me, and I don’t take the time to thank them like I should.

These verses that Paul writes to Timothy remind me of how important it is to make sure I show my gratitude to the people in my life who constantly pour into me to help me grow personally and spiritually.

I was very blessed as a child to have parents who were very present in my life. Parents who love each other and loved us always. I had grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins that I got to spend time with regularly, and who actually spent time with me, too. I grew up with three siblings who teased constantly, but who were always supportive of their nerdy, book-loving, sings-all-the-time, laughs-way-too-loud sister. I am thankful for my family.

My mom made sure we went to church every Sunday and showed us what it looked like to serve - both in church and at home. She taught me the power of faith and prayer and the importance of knowing God’s Word.

At church, there were so many wonderful Sunday School teachers, G.A. leaders (girls mission group), youth leaders, Vacation Bible School workers, and more who gave their time each week to teach me the Bible and how to live it out.

As a student, I had countless wonderful teachers who took the time to encourage me and challenge me to do more and be more. Teachers who rarely (if ever) spoke in the classroom about their faith but made it obvious through the way they treated others.

My husband and children constantly amaze me with their grace and love toward me. I am so thankful for how God uses them to teach me about His love for me, and for how they push me to be better all the time.

My life is full of amazingly supportive coworkers who lift me up and challenge me to be a better teacher and follower of Christ. I have administrators who cheer us on and make sure we have what we need to be successful in our classrooms - even if that’s an extra jeans day now and then! I work in a school full of people who go above and beyond the basic job requirements each day, and I know I am so blessed to have that!

My church family, including our pastor and his wife, are a constant source of joy and blessing. They feed my soul and lift up my spirit over and over again. They help me apply the scripture to daily life and hold me accountable for living out my faith. They stretch me to serve in new ways and to give more generously of my time, talents, and money to further God’s kingdom.

Friends, can I challenge you to show your gratitude to someone this week who has made a difference in your life? You may never know the impact you might make with just a simple note, text, or call. Stop and make the effort this week to encourage someone by thanking them for impacting your life. God will turn it into a blessing for you, too.

Father God, thank You so much for blessing me with countless people who have helped me to know You better and to trust You more. Forgive me for taking for granted that they know how much I appreciate them. Help me to do a better job of thanking them - starting today!

Wiped Clean

8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:8-9

Some of the things I am thankful for are small things. Some would call them trivial. I know how many blessings God has poured out on me! But when some of those “little things” are not working or available, I quickly realize how thankful I am for them.

Ever gone a few days without a dishwasher, washing machine, or other appliance? I am thankful for those! Clean clothes, hot food, hot water -- not absolutely necessary in life, but I am thankful for them all the more! If you’ve ever traveled much outside of the U.S., you probably appreciate your toilet paper and working plumbing a bit more.

There is no doubt that we live with so many conveniences and luxuries which are absent in many parts of the world.

As cold and flu season sets in at school, I found myself thankful for another little thing: disinfecting wipes. I’ve been battling a head cold this week, so I have wiped down the tables, desks, and computer keyboards/mice more than once over the last few days. I am so glad to have this easy way to kill germs in my classroom and to keep myself and my students healthier.

Last week, I had already wiped down my classroom table earlier in the day, but after having a student with some particularly hardy coughing spells, I decided to go ahead and wipe it down again at lunchtime. I wasn’t expecting to get a lot of dirt off, since I had just wiped the table a few hours prior. But I was very surprised at how black the wipe was when I finished.

We use dry erase boards and markers in my room for spelling practice many times each day, and they leave a lot of black gunk behind. But I didn’t notice that it was looking dirty. It wasn’t until I ran the white wipe over its surface that I saw just how much grime was on it. Anytime I have students help wipe down our tables and desks, I inevitably hear, “Yuck!” or “That’s gross!” when they see all the dirt they wipe off.

And that, my friends, makes me think about something else I am thankful for -- a much bigger thing this time -- the complete forgiveness of sin by a graceful, merciful God.

I have sin that is much like the dirt on my classroom table. It may not be the first thing you notice when you look, but it is definitely there. We all have sin. It is ugly and offensive. It is repulsive to our holy God. It stains us and separates us from our loving, heavenly Father.

But John writes that God is “faithful and just and will forgive us our sin and purify us from all unrighteousness.” Because of our faith in Jesus and His sacrifice for us, we receive forgiveness that washes us white as snow. (Isaiah 1:18) It is difficult to completely comprehend how God can do that over and over again for us, but I believe He does. And that is something I will forever be thankful for!

Heavenly Father, we have so, so much to be thankful for - big and small. Words just cannot express the gratitude I feel for the way You forgive me for my sin. Thank you for purifying me, for constantly working in my life to remove the sin and make me more like Jesus. Help me to see my sin as You do and to always cooperate with Your Holy Spirit to avoid sin and keep it out of my heart.

A Good Soldier

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3 Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer. 2 Timothy 2:3-4

I have so many things for which to be thankful. I cannot possibly fit them all into one post, so I am going to write a few posts this month about things for which I am grateful.

Since today is Veteran’s Day, I am feeling so blessed to live in this country. I am so thankful for the brave and selfless members of the military who have or are currently serving around the world to promote freedom and provide protection for so many. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Each year on Veteran’s Day, our school hosts a breakfast for local veterans and current members of the military. I love how our students sit so respectfully, applaud so enthusiastically, and perform so beautifully to honor all those who have served.

Today, the guest speaker at the assembly, Mike Nichols, spoke about his experiences and some of the lessons he learned from his time in the service. He spoke about working as a team to achieve goals, about how important it was to sleep when he could, about how he learned to appreciate times of waiting, and about being given opportunities to do things outside of his comfort zone. One of the other organizers also spoke about the sacrifices military men and women and their families make when they are deployed and away from home. I can easily see how all of these ideas relate to our spiritual battles.

I realize that we, too, are called to be like soldiers in our Christian walk. In 2 Timothy, Paul charges Timothy to suffer “like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.” Soldiers must put their own comfort aside in order to fulfill their orders. Soldiers are away from home, where food, clothing, and housing are functional but not luxurious, and where they are sometimes in extremely difficult and dangerous places. And because of their willingness to suffer, the rest of us enjoy the peace and freedom to live in comfort every day.

Am I willing to put aside my own comfort to follow Christ? Am I willing to put the needs of others before my own and suffer so that others will know the Lord and reap the benefits of knowing Him?

Paul also encourages Timothy to stay focused on pleasing his commanding officer and not to be distracted by the affairs of the world. Soldiers understand how important it is to obey their orders, and they know that they cannot afford to become distracted and drawn away from carrying out those orders. When there is a mission to complete, the only way to please the commanding officer is to successfully complete that mission.

I don’t know about you, but that challenges me. I get tangled up in distractions every single day! It is difficult to always be working toward the mission of sharing the gospel of Christ with those around me without getting sidetracked and thrown off course.

So today, I thank God for all those who have served in the United States armed forces. Thank you for your sacrifices. Thank you for protecting the freedoms we hold so dear and making it possible to live the life I live. And I thank you for setting an example of how to serve. May God richly bless you!

Precious Lord, please be with all of those who are currently serving in the armed forces all over the world. Draw near to them when they are lonely. Keep Your hand of protection upon them when they are in danger. Grant them victory over those who seek to harm them. And be very near to their loved ones who anxiously await their return.

Changing the Flavor

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13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. Matthew 5:13

Well, Halloween has come and gone. Now, it’s just the candy left! So much candy!

When my kids were younger, we always ended up with way more candy than we needed. I never let them keep their own candy separately. But we didn’t just dump everything into one big bowl, either. We always went through their orange, plastic pumpkin buckets and sorted everything out into at least two bowls. One bowl was for the fruity candy, and one was for the chocolate. And if there was anything minty, it had to be in a container all its own. There was a reason for this separation. I do not like a chocolate candy bar to taste fruity, and there is something very unpleasant, in my opinion, about a peanut butter-chocolate-mint flavor combination. Nope. Not appealing.

Now, you might be thinking that’s a little crazy, but apparently, I am not the only one that does this. I had to laugh at a teacher’s meeting last week. We had a large amount of candy for staff members out on a table. It was full of Starburst, Nerds, Laffy Taffy, etc. Beside the container was a large variety bag of chocolate candy bars. When one teacher went to add an additional bag of chocolate candy to the large container of fruity flavors, there was more than one teacher who quickly corrected the error!

When different candies are mixed together in the same storage container and left for a period of time, there will be some of the flavors that bleed over into the others. Even though they are individually packaged, somehow, if they spend enough time next to each other, the fruity or minty candies manage to bleed through their wrappers enough to change the flavor of the chocolate candy.

Jesus taught his disciples to be a little bit like that. He told them that they should affect the flavor of the world around them. They should be like salt. Have you ever eaten a bag of popcorn without salt? Ever forgotten to salt the potatoes when you fixed a meal? Without salt, food is just not as tasty. Just a little salt enhances the flavor of whatever it is added to. A little salt will permeate a whole dish of food. Suddenly, the food that was once bland and unappealing is now flavorful and enjoyable to eat.

It makes me ask myself: What kind of flavor am I adding to my world? When I am “mixed in” with the world, can others tell that I’ve been there? I want to affect the world around me in a positive way. I want to let a bit of Jesus seep out and change those around me.

In order to do that, I must first be filled myself. I have to spend time reading and thinking about God’s word each day, praying and listening to His Holy Spirit all throughout my day, and being available to others around me. For me, Christian music is a very important part of my “filling up.” Sometimes, I have to empty out some of the negative thoughts and feelings -- confessing my sin and turning my worries over to Jesus. Without that emptying out process, I don’t have room to be completely filled with God’s goodness, grace, and love. And then, I have to be intentional about connecting with others around me, too. I have to purposely mix myself in!

I wish I could say that I was always full of the Holy Spirit, but I know I am not. I do not always make a positive impact on those around me like I could. But God is still working on me, and I always hope to be closer tomorrow than I am today. And I hope you are, too. Because when Christ is in us, and we are in the world, we can make a difference for His kingdom, one connection at a time.

Lord, help us to want more and more of You each day. Show us how to live in this world so that we change its flavor, without allowing the world to change ours. Fill us up with Your Holy Spirit so that we can overflow and touch those around us with Your love.