Secondly, He taught me to rejoice in who He made me to be and to use the gifts He has already given me rather than trying to make myself into what I think I should be. God has given me an ability with languages and teaching. He has also given me an ability to relate to and love teenagers, and as one of my friends said, anyone who loves teens needs to work with them because most of us can't. Most people think I have TEACHER written all over me and I tend to agree. Yet I was trying to ignore what was clear to everyone and replace it with the words, "counselor for the homeless" or "Children's Pastor" but it just didn't work. What a joy it is to know who God created me to be and to use the gifts He has given me for His glory. I love teaching and feel like it is the greatest act of worship I could do for Him in my professional career.
Thirdly, He showed me that it wasn't whether I was in a Christian vocation or in the public workplace that mattered. Some He calls into Christian vocations. Others He calls into secular jobs. He needs His people everywhere and what matters most is not the job, but our perspectives on that job. Full-time ministry can occur in a Christian setting or in a secular setting - the point is to make sure that we view wherever we work as a ministry. I believe my job as a teacher is the best way I can minister to the people around me. I've seen God use me in the public schools. I'm able to be a light shining in the darkness to the lost and an encouragement to the Christian kids in school to let their lights shine brightly. What a cool way to serve God.
I returned to teaching a year and a half ago and I thank God constantly. In the back of my mind, I still toy with the idea of being a missionary or a pastor's wife - not to earn points with God but because it truly is a deep desire for me. I love foreign countries and since languages and new cultures are fairly easy for me to accept and adapt to, I'm actually quite certain that I will someday head to the mission field. I could easily envision myself teaching English somewhere else and using it as a spring board for me to share God's love. And as for the dream of being a Pastor's wife, I'm still single so we'll see about that.…
Written By: Faye Beneshik 19th Aug, 2002
Faye is a teacher in Wisconsin, USA.
