PUSH: pray until something happens

Tomorrow marks the beginning of the 2011-2012 school year, aka my second year of teaching! While it is just pre-planning week this week, I can't decide if I'm excited or ready or what, but it's here! It's making me nervous all over again, just like last year when I started my first year. I even woke up this morning having a bad dream about my first class going wrong!

I know that God works through everything and every one, but this morning I saw that happen once again. We sang the hymn "What a Friend We Have in Jesus" (definitely a classic), and one set of the lyrics stood out:

Oh, what peace we often forfeit,

Oh, what needless pain we bear,

All because we do not carry

Everything to God in prayer

I'm not sure a truer statement could have been said to me at the this time. Why am I sitting here worrying about how the school year is going to go when I can just give it to God? God answers prayers, and lifting up this school year is the best way to save myself from forfeiting peace and causing "needless pain."

When I was in middle school, the PUSH rings/necklaces/etc. were "in." PUSH stood for Pray Until Something Happens. Maybe I need to pull my old PUSH ring out and wear it as an everyday reminder.

I pray that I will show God's love to my new group of student everyday and that I will teach all of them at least one thing throughout the year. I also pray that I will show God's love to my coworkers and work with them as a team. I pray that I will follow His will for the year and do what He is calling me to do through my teaching and other activities in my life.

If you get a second, I'd appreciate a prayer or two :)