I spy God at school...

Yes, school has started!!  For the first time in 7 years, all my children went to school this morning and I came home...ALONE!  I have not done that since Caleb was in kindergarten, and honestly it's a bit difficult to get used to.  Don't get me wrong, I'll get used to it, but for today it was weird.

At the very end of last school year God began to prick my heart about my role this year.  As most of you know, I have kids in 3 different schools.  As I contemplated that reality about 4 months ago, I was a bit overwhelmed and scared.  I was a little scared that people would think we were dumb for having our kids so far apart in ages.  (Again, that is a blog for another day...but one day you seriously have to hear WHY we have kids whose ages range almost 11 years.  It's a total God thing!)  I was really nervous that I'd never be able to keep up with all three of their schedules.  (I couldn't do that last year, so I'm not sure why I even thought it could be different this year!) I knew I couldn't be as involved with each of them and their respective schools as I would like to be.  I knew that the expectations of involvement would be different for each school, but I always want to know what's going on and be involved.  (We all know that being involved helps you know their friends, their teachers, and their reputations!)   

Then God spoke to me.

I don't say that out loud often.  I really hate it when people blame God for something that "He spoke" when it's obvious that one of two things is probably the case.  Either, they had what they thought was a great idea and wanted to lend some credibility to it, so they are lying.  Or maybe they misheard God.  I do both of those things far too often so I try really hard not to make it obvious by saying, "God spoke to me..."  I figure if God wants you to know it then He'll speak it to you too.  He can speak for Himself, and you don't need me to tell you what He says to you.  

But this time I'm going to say it because I want to record it for myself to read later.  I know, beyond any shadow of doubt, that God spoke to me that my role this year is to pray for 3 schools.

This is the only year I will have that burden, that responsibility, that privilege.  

I'm in!

I originally wanted to include as many other moms in this as possible.  I talked to Blake about starting a school prayer group at church or in my neighborhood.  I could dream big things for this...and then He spoke again.  

"Just pray for these 3 schools.  Don't try to turn this into a movement.  Just pray and watch Me move."

OK, I heard it and I'm in.  In fact, it's taken me almost 4 months to even write this blog.  I don't mean to do this for anyone but Him.  I don't want to brag or motivate or cajole anyone to join me.  I'm writing this down because I need to have a record of how He moves this year in these schools.  I need to have a record of how He moves in me.

I recently told a bunch of amazingly Godly women that prayer is an invitation to play I spy with God!  You might remember that I wrote, not too long ago, a post about how we do two things in our car with Sarah.  We always pray as we are pulling out of the garage, and we always play "I spy" on car trips to pass the time.  She recently got those two things mixed up and started a prayer with "I spy with my little eye..."  It occurred to me right then and there that, although He is working even if I don't pray, I will see His movement when I am praying.  I even told those amazing women last week to take note of their prayers and then also write down when they see Him move regarding those specific prayers.  So I'm writing this down...and my real friends know I don't use paper to do anything anymore, so I'm blogging it!  Follow me or don't, but this is for me.  Join me or not, but every Monday I will write down what I'm praying for these 3 schools and how I'm seeing Him move.  And make no mistake...He will move! He is moving!

So here goes:

 

This is Lee's Summit West High School and my oldest son, Justin, is a sophomore here.  I'm praying for the teachers I know who are Christians to be bold enough to live out there faith and use the name of Jesus in their work!  Justin is so blessed to have several teachers who I know are followers of Christ.  I'm praying they will sense God's presence so very near them this week that they are astonished.  And I'm praying that students will notice and ask why they are so patient, loving, kind, truly caring, and have high expectations.

This is Summit Lakes Middle School and my middle child, Caleb, is an eighth grader here.  I don't know any teachers very well here, and I honestly don't know who follows Christ.  I'm praying God will show me which teachers are Jesus followers at SLMS.  I'm praying for Caleb's teachers specifically to experience something this week at school that points them to God and His love for them.

This is our beloved Longview Farm Elementary.  (And yes it is this magical place that is sweet and quaint and neighborly and fairytale- like.)  I know several women and men at this school who follow Christ passionately, and I'm so thankful for them!  This week I'm praying that they catch the attention of their coworkers because they live out their faith unapologetically in a gracious and beautiful way.  I pray they will find boldness and encouragement in each other.  I pray that they will know His very presence so profoundly in their own families and situations.  

These requests will be a constant offering from my lips this week.  I invite you to pray for your kids' schools or even your grandkids' schools if He calls you to it.  I am fully aware that schools can be homes and private schools as well...but they would also love your prayers!  I can't wait to see Him move and work in me and in these precious schools.