God Is In The Room

So, I should be working on my 5 papers that are due this coming week, but instead I am going to tell you about the most amazing day I just had! It all began when I got up at 4:30 am with plans to take a short hike up Red Mountain to see the sunrise. We arrived and began our hike, which was much more strenuous than anticipated. The view was beautiful though! We had a great time up at the top of the trail fellowshipping, reading the Bible, worshipping, and praying together. At some points on the trail, we could see a very famous and EXTREMELY strenuous hike called The Incline. We jokingly said that we should go do it since we were so close and such expert hikers (NOT!). Somewhere along the way, our jokes turned serious, and we decided to go for it.

Now you should know that The Incline is no normal hike, and most sane people who hike it do it while they are fresh... not after theyve already hiked 3 miles. So we grabbed some breakfast in nearby Manitou Springs and headed off. Here are some interesting facts on The Incline:
- It is 1.1 miles long, straight up, with grades anywhere from 40- 68%
- 2000 foot elevation gain from bottom to top, which is more than the Empire State Building
- It's basically like climbing an endless set of stairs (which used to be a tourist railway)
- It is the highest set of stairs in the world
- It is used often for Army and Air Force training exercises
- About 1/8 of the way up we saw a No Trespassing sign and thought, "Hmmmmm..." Well, apparently it is not legal for "law abiding citizens" to climb. So, YES, I just broke the law. I trespassed... along with the hundreds of other people that hike the trail each day. Oops. :)

The Bottom Looking Up... Hello Stairs!!!


The Top Looking Down


So we made it and it was super fun, but not without LOTS of hard work, perserverance, and feeling like I might throw up every 10 minutes. Sweet! After we finally made the 4 mile hike back down, we decided we needed a little rest before we took on our next challenge and headed back home. Fun fun!

Anyways, now for my words of wisdom. I have so many things that I could choose to write about, and it is so hard to choose just one! I suppose that is actually a positive thing though! So last week in our Marriage and Family Studies class we talked about parenting. As someone who isnt even married and doesnt really have any prospects, my first instinct was to just daydream for 3 hours. As we began class though, our matins time really caught my attention. It was about this concept: God is in the room. The devotional can actually be found here if youd like to read it for yourself. In essence, the devo talks about what our homes might begin to look like if we lived by the motto, "God is in the room." How might parents treat their children differently during moments of anger and frustration if they stopped a moment to remind themselves that God really is in the room. He also talks about how we simply pray at mealtimes, say "amen", and then pretend like that magic word is some kind of curtain that we can pull down in front of heaven. Ah hah!!! This doesnt just apply to families though.

Throughout the semester I have had a lot of time to reflect on how I can love my students in a godly manner when there are so many restrictions put on teachers. My first thought has always been that I would do whatever I wanted anyways, and then if I got fired then that would just be how it was. But I have come to realize that there are many other questions that along with that stance... How does my disobedience to authority reflect on the One I am serving? If I were to lose my job for some reason, does that potentially cut me off from ever having an influence in that sphere of society again? Even though this stance may not necessarily be a wrong one, I now am of the opinion that there are better ways to go about making the love of Christ known in public schools in an attractively winsome way.

During this matins time, I felt that God was speaking to me about how to be an attractively winsome teacher and co-worker. First, I must acknowledge that God is in the room- my classroom specifically. If I can brand this thought and image into my mind, how much more patience might I have with that one child who gets on my last nerve? Second, in the time that I have been here, I have made a commitment to myself that I will pray over the seats of my students each morning before school begins. I would encourage other teachers who read this to do the same! What a difference could we make in the life of a child and in schools if we brought them before God each day asking for His direction and guidance with each child who crosses our path? Not only will I pray over the seats of my students each morning, but I will have to make sure that when I say "amen" for the bell rings that I am not pulling that curtain down and shutting God out. You see, we really cant shut God out anyways. He resides in our homes and classrooms. He hates being ignored too, but how many times have we ignored God and pretended as though He wasnt really there with us?

And while we are at it, let's carry this principle over into the Student or Children's Ministry at church? What if part of getting our classroom prepped before the lesson each Sunday or Wednesday was to pray over the chairs in room for the students that will fill them? What in the world might happen in the hearts of our students if we fervently prayed for their hearts and other needs? God has always told us to pray and to seek His face in all that we do. He has always told us to present our requests to Him. He has always told to pray without ceasing? So why dont we take him seriously so many times?

Prayer is a conversation with God. It acknowledges to God that we know that He is in room and that we know He can guide through anything and want to give Him control.

So take a minute to stop, wherever you may be, and acknowledge that GOD IS IN THE ROOM... ( and no... He wont leave the building like Elvis did.) :)