Day 6 of 21 - What do I have to say today? BLAH!

Arise and Shine for the Glory of the Lord has risen among you.  Isaiah 60:1

I have nothing special to blog about today.  My spirit is BLAH!  I feel tired, sad, and like a log...unenthused by pretty much everything except this song that I continually keep playing over and over on repeat...It's ministering to my weary soul. 

Earlier today I sat thinking back on my life thinking about the many times God placed unmerited love and favor on my life. 

One special moment that came to mind was my fourth grade teacher, Mr. Rice.  He was a very kind man.  I didn't have any safe men in my life and I looked forward to going to school to get away from home.  Mr. Rice used to use a spray mouth freshener.  My friend and I would go over to him like little birdies and open our mouths for a 'squirt, squirt.'  He would give us two squirts of peppermint mouth freshener and off we would go

continuing on in recess.  He used to permit us to line up our lip glosses on the desks and we would look at all the different flavors. We would make a big circle on the table and look at the variety of flavors that we wanted to collect next. 

I always talked a lot; A LOT.  At home, no one listened; except all of my animal friends.  They listened and loved me and loved when I talked to them.  Humans at home did not listen or care to hear anything I had to say, except my sister...haha...So by the time I went to school, I had lots of word that needed to escape my lips.  I'm sure, after many warnings, Mr. Rice finally had to follow up on his threats to me and use me as an example of disobedient behavior.  I couldn't help not talking when he talked.  I just had so much to say!  He grabbed the paddle and escorted me to the closet and spanked me.  I was a very offended  nine year old. I was dismayed that the teacher I respected and loved as a father figure paddled me.  What does the scriptures say about the father disciplining those he loves?   Proverbs 3:11-12 - 11My son, do not reject the discipline of the LORD Or loathe His reproof, 12For whom the LORD loves He reproves, Even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights.  Mr. Rice was the first healthy male role model in my life.  Other times in his classroom, during recess, the girls would take off our clogs and walk around the room without shoes.  Some of those times when we took our clogs off, we would play Chinese jump rope.  It was one of my favorite games.  I would look across the hall and see Mrs. Churchill's class during recess and was so thankful that she wasn't my teacher.  She was old and grumpy.  One day in fourth grade, I was showing off in gym class.  When affection is void in your life, you will show off to show your worth.  The gym teachers were videotaping the gym class, I took full advantage of showing off my gymnastic skills...We had to do round offs on the mat.  I kept doing them over and over and suddenly I felt a sharp pain in my ankle and realized that as I was coming down my foot twisted off the corner of the mat.  I hopped off to the girl's locker room.  I was crying in pain.  Mr. Rice came back to get our class after gym class was over.  He looked at me and saw how much pain I was in, so with his huge father's heart, he lifted me up on his shoulders and carried me back to class.  This fourth grade teacher, once again, inspired my heart. I had finally found a safe man in my life.  He was a father figure to me.  That day, I forgot all about he disciplining me.  His love trumped the disgrace of discipline.  The day, he carried me on his shoulders wincing in pain was very special to me.  Never had I been shown valuable enough to a man in my life to be carried without shame attached to it.  Even when my great grandfather came to pick me up early from school as I waited in the nurse's office, Mr. Rice carried me upon his shoulders to the office .  My great grandmother iced up my ankle.  The swelling would not go down and they ended up taking me to the hospital. I had fractured my ankle.  I got a cast that covered my foot up to my knee.  The crutches were fun and the special attention at school made the challenge of walking up our hill in the snow using crutches to get to the bus more pleasant, knowing when I got to school, I'd get fed breakfast and valued by my father figure, Mr. Rice.

God puts special people in our lives that touch our hearts and souls so deeply that they will always hold a treasured place in our memories.  Mr. Rice is one of those special treasured memories I continually carry in my heart. My world was so dark at home during that age, he was a source of light and hope to me.  Even as I feel darkness wanting to choke out the Father of Lights in my life now, he can't.  The Lord has put so many special people in my life who love me; cherish me and value me.  I am so abundantly blessed and thankful for the Father's love.  I know that He only disciplines those He loves and with that, I give him full permission to lead me in whatever way He directs.  I know every good and perfect gift is from the Father of Lights and I trust him!

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.  James 1:17 (ESV)

God carries us on his shoulders also.  He is such a kind Father.  He carries us through the most difficult of times in our lives.  He's a good, good Father!

and in the wilderness where you saw how the LORD your God carried you, just as a man carries his son, in all the way which you have walked until you came to this place.' Deuteronomy 1:31 (NASB)

I encourage Mothers and Fathers, ARISE!  Shine!  There is a world beyond your four walls that is desperate for a touch of the Father's love and acceptance.  Love without conditions...without limits...You just may change someone's life for the better!