I Must Be Crazy!

A few months ago, a friend at church asked if I'd be interested in teaching Sunday School to 5th and 6th graders. My initial reaction (although I did not verbalize it) was completely negative. I teach 5th and 6th graders Monday through Friday. Why in the world would I want to do it on Sundays as well? My friend asked me to think about it, pray about it and observe a few classes before deciding. I agreed to do that, but I'd be lying if I said I was remotely considering saying yes. However, in good faith I gave the offer a lot of thought and a lot of prayer. I also discussed my intense hesitation with Tami. She listened, gave her opinion, but did not encourage me one way or the other. That was a good thing because I needed to make this decision on my own. I sat in on two classes and was immediately struck by something, but it was't immediately apparent what it was. After a few minutes it hit me. These kids were listening... INTENTLY. They weren't talking. They weren't being disrespectful or rude. They were REALLY listening. Then there was THIS biggie. These kids could actually read... VERY WELL. Everything I just mentioned is completely opposite of what I deal with as a public school teacher. Seeing these kids in Sunday School was beginning to change my heart, but I wasn't there yet. Another major hurdle was my lack of confidence in my own knowledge of the Bible. The two classes I observed were heavy-duty Bible lessons. This was not your run-of-the-mill read a bible verse, sing a song and do an art project Sunday School class. This was 50 minutes of lecture on Old Testament Scripture. Could I actually do this? Could I teach a long lesson on the Old Testament. I have my doubts. However, I decided I shouldn't let fear rule my life and told my friend I'd give teaching Sunday School a try. He said, "Great! You start on April 1st. You'll be teaching the books of Leviticus and Numbers." My heart jumped into my throat. Leviticus and Numbers???? I know absolutely nothing about these books. But I put on my best smile and said, "Okay. I'll be ready". To be honest, my decision to take on this challenge was a bit more complex than I let on. I decided this would be an excellent way to serve The Lord and the people of my church. After all, serving isn't always easy, is it? I also decided it would be a good way to increase my own knowledge of the Bible. I'm ashamed to admit my knowledge of the Bible is sorely lacking and preparing these lessons will help me learn about God's Word. Finally, I decided it would be a good example to set for my own children. I am not always the best spiritual leader in my house. I am hopeful this will bring about some improvement in that area.

Soooo.... April 1st is coming up in 6 days and I have already begun the preparation for my first lesson. I was surprised at how smoothly the lesson planning went. I got a sense of peace and confidence about the whole thing. I truly believe I can do this. I know I can do this.

I do ask for your prayers though. Please pray that I will be a competent teacher for these kids. Pray that God will teach me through reading His Word and instructing young people in His Word. Pray that I will be engaging and that the kids will listen to me like they listened to the teacher before me. Pray that I don't "mess this up" :-)