The Best Teacher

I have been a student the majority of my life. Preschool, elementary school, middle school, high school, college, and then graduate school. I suppose that means I should be pretty well educated (as long as you don't ask me anything about history, chemistry, algebra, geometry.........and don't you dare bring up physics). I have had many impressionable teachers and I have been blessed with professors that took the time to not only help me, but to know me. I am blessed by the impact these teachers have had in my life. While I am thankful for the role these people have had, there is one person who stands leaps and bounds before all of them. He has been the most influential person in my life and has taught me more than any other about the things in life that really matter.

He is my dad.

It is ridiculous to even try to attempt to fill this tiny blog with a list of all the things he has taught me, or to even begin to explain the impact he has had in my life. There is just not enough space. But let me tell you a few trinkets of truth he has instilled in me....

Know the Bible. Don't just base what I believe on what someone else said about their stance on Scripture. I need to read it myself...........study it, know it. As I have gone through trials in my life he has pointed me to stories from the Bible. He has helped me to see how the Lord's truth in the midst of these stories applies to my life and my current circumstances. Knowing the Bible will help guide us through the trials of today.

Be honest. Even if it gets you in trouble..........even if it embarrasses you.........the end of the story will always be so much better if you will just be honest. Integrity defines you and it is never worth sacrificing to save a little face.

Look people in the eye. When you are speaking with someone, even when you are just listening..........always, always, always look them in the eye. This shows respect. To fail at this only sends a message that the other person doesn't matter enough to hold your attention..........don't be a jerk. Look em' in the eye.

Always pull forward at the gas station. Don't stop at the first pump when you stop to fill up the ol' tank, if the further most pump is empty you should pull up. This is among one of the simple things we can do to make things easier for other people. We should think about others first, even in the small and tedious tasks of life.

Always check my oil. I may be a girl, but I don't have to be a damsel in distress that relies on someone else to take care of me. Let's just say I am 17 years old and call my parents because my car won't start back up after I stopped at a gas station for a Sun-Drop after cheerleading practice. Now let's say it was because the oil was apparently drip-dry because the said 17 year old failed to keep an eye on her oil..........well........that would be her own fault. I'm sure her dad taught her better than that.

Know what's going on in the world. Not gonna lie.......I'm still not great at this. But my sweet Dad sure has tried.  He has taught me that I am responsible to know what is going on in the world we live in, and how it effects me. I'm a work in progress.

We are not owed anything. My dad is the hardest worker I have ever known, working hard since he was 12. He set goals and worked hard to reach them, never approaching anything in life with a sense of entitlement. If I want something, he taught me to work for it.............receiving it will feel so much more satisfying if I earned it.

Family is always there. No matter how crazy life feels.........family brings some sanity. No matter how beat up you feel from the punches of life........family gives you the support  you need to keep moving forward. When you are sad, your family always has some hugs waiting to cheer you up. No matter how lost you feel, your family is always home.

My dad means more to me than words could ever say. He has impacted my life in ways that have helped make me who I am today. He has taught me what it means to live a life of commitment to the Lord and to serve others. He has taught me what it means to live a life of integrity. He has taught me the value of hard work and the joy of earning what you worked for. He has taught me that family has your back no matter where you are in life.............they are the support system that will always be there ready to catch you when you begin to fall. He has not only taught me these valuable life truths...........he has shown me. He has shown me in the way he treats everyone who meets and knows him. He is kind, honest, gentle, humble, servant-hearted, and genuine. He is full of integrity and shows respect to everyone he meets.

I'm grown now (we won't discuss how grown) and am now married with two little girls of my own. I guess I have my own little classroom now. I often have flashbacks of moments with my dad as I'm trying my best to teach them some of the life lessons he taught me. I hope and I pray that I can do half as good a job as he did at being their teacher. I may be older and I may now have students of my own, but there are several things that will never change...............I will always be his most dedicated student, his classroom will always be the most inspiring, and he will always be my favorite teacher.

The best teacher.

Strut His Stuff

Piper has always marched to the beat of her own drum. It is a very loud drum........one that is probably neon pink with a zebra print on the side. And she would probably choose to beat the drum with arrows from her bow instead of the drumsticks because........well.........that's just how she would like it. She has never been one to worry about what others think. Not only has she never worried about it, she would confidently strut her stuff in front of anyone who even tried to say her outfit didn't match. In fact, I'm pretty sure that most adults we pass in Walmart judge me for having her shoes on the wrong feet. If only they could have been a fly on our wall that morning........they would have seen me try to convince her to let me switch her sparkly pink shoes to the right foot. But when she throws that cute little chin up and says, "I wike it wike dat," I always decide it's just not worth the battle. So judge away, Walmart patrons.............judge away.

There are countless qualities that I love about my passionate little 4 year old. But I have to say, her confidence in the midst of pressures to conform and her passion to beat that loud unique drum, are the qualities that I love and respect the most. I pray that she stands strong in how the Lord made her and that she never becomes influenced by the world around her. She teaches me so much through those mismatched outfits and she encourages me with that strut of confidence.
Being a pastor's wife, there are a lot of stereotypes as to what we are supposed to be gifted at. In fact, just the other day I was at a dental appointment. When the dentist saw that I was married to a pastor, this is how the conversation went....

Dentist: You are married to a pastor?
Me: Yes, I am.
Dentist: Do you play the piano?
Me: Nope.
Dentist: Do you sing?
Me: Nope.
Dentist: What? Aren't pastor's wives suppose to be able to do those things?
Me: I sure hope not.
Dentist: Well, I think if I were your husband, that would have been reason enough not to marry you.

I'm pretty sure he was joking (at least that's what I'm telling myself), but the fact is, he is not the first person that has said something like this to me. These talents and gifts are usually just expected of pastor's wives. I am here to tell you right now, the Lord's church at Fairview Baptist is incredibly musically talented. I am blown away each week by how the Lord blessed the members in their abilities to sing and play instruments. But if I were to show up at choir practice, or start moving my fingers on the piano, there would be an emergency prayer chain and a new committee formed to keep the pastor's wife busy so that she will not have time to test out her vibrato skills. It is just not my gift and it is not how the Lord wants to use me.

The hard part is being confident in that truth and not caring what others think. There are times that I find myself envious of pastor's wives who are able to live up to that expectation. Why do I let myself feel disappointed about not using a gift that the Lord never even gave me to begin with? The fact is, there are gifts that He did give me. There are passions that He did place on my heart, and a calling and a plan that He designed specifically for me. While I will never sing a solo with the worship band, I am blessed and excited to use the gifts that He purposely instilled in me. Piper encourages and challenges me to not be concerned about the expectations that others have of me, but to embrace the passions and gifts He gave me so that I may be used to accomplish His purposes ................and then I can strut His stuff with confidence.