God Bless Our Teachers

Last week teachers in Hillsborough County (Tampa, FL) went back to work. They were preparing their classrooms, preparing lesson plans, receiving training and getting ready for a new school year. The students arrive on Tuesday. In some parts of the country this has already occurred; in other regions it is still to come. In any case, these dedicated men and women prepare to face a new group of students under increasingly difficult situations. Many are not paid as well as they should be. Some face budget crunches that force them to purchase many of their own supplies. They are often forced to teach to testing rather than for the purpose of true education. They will encounter difficult students, difficult parents, difficult school boards...and local politicians who simply don't get it. The simple fact that so many of them return to their schools year after year to fight these battles should earn them our unending respect and admiration.

It should also earn them our prayers. Wherever you are, whether school has already begun or doesn't start for a few weeks yet, make today a day of prayer for the teachers you know. Ask God to bless them, protect them, encourage them and inspire them. And then ask the teachers in your life what you can do to help them this year. We count on teachers to make a difference in the lives of our children. Let's use today as a springboard to make a difference in the lives of those teachers. To those of you who continue in this most noble profession, may God grant you wisdom, energy, insight and serenity as you go through this school year. You are loved!

Because of Jesus,