Get a Clue...

I miss working in Private school. Don't read that wrong, I love my Job at Mable Barron, truly I do. But I miss teaching Bible class. It gave me excuse to get into the word one hour of each day, I learned so much back culture, apologetics, and history. Teaching Bible class really dug into my soul, and strengthened my faith.

Teaching in Public School is a different situation altogether, where honestly I have to be careful about my faith. Christmas is taboo, Christ's name-practically a swear word. But I try my darnedest to be a light in the dark when I can. It is a different mission altogether. When teaching at FBCS, I remember educating my students about Evolution from a creationist side, supplementing the curriculum so that they would be prepared to defend their faith when inundated with Darwin's theories later in life. Now, I have flipped the coin, and I find myself teaching evolution in depth from a side where I cannot even reveal the evidences of creation as an alternative theory. It is weird, and I pray nightly that God would help me teach the students in a way that does not conflict with my faith, because in the end, my job is my job, but my faith will be judged upon entering eternity. How could I justify three months out of the year, teaching my students a theory that contradicts with the truth as revealed by our heavenly Father? Everything that I personally believe goes against what I must teach?

Therefore I teach it from an honest approach. I teach the THEORY of evolution, demonstrating to my students the need to think critically for themselves, and not just believe everything that is handed to them. I teach them that scientist can only base their assumptions off of observations from the natural world, and have even proven to them instances where science has been proven inaccurate. I approach "holes" in the evolution theory when possible like the circular reasoning of how paleontologist date fossil's being from the rocks that they are found in, yet geologist date rocks by the fossils that are found in them. I describe that transitional fossils-the key to evolution being true-are missing when Darwin himself stated that their should be hundreds of thousands, yet we cannot find one, therefore artists draw the depictions of the transitional beings where evidence is lacking. We talk about young earth verses old earth theories and I try to provide my students with opportunities to ask questions, and let discussion fill in the gaps I am not supposed to answer. Like today, a student asked if there were any alternative theories to the beginning of the earth, I asked the class and one brave girl raised her hand and stated that she believed God created the earth and all of its inhabitants. I replied: "that too is an alternative theory" and then moved onto the next point regarding the cambrian explosion. I do try to make it a point to let my opinion stay out of it as much as possible and when student's ask what I believe I reply "my beliefs are not necessary for this discussion, but if you would like to know we can talk about that outside of class time."

Outside of science class, I try to be an evident light whenever possible. My co-workers know that I believe in God, being married to a pastor helps this be known. My principal talked at length to Brandon about his job and beliefs at our Christmas party, I have had an opportunity to invite a co-worker to church, and upon our recent complications with this pregnancy, people know I believe in prayer! But I can say that I am fortunate to work with many believers of the same faith, I discover more each day! God is working his thang at Mable Barron!

A few of my students attend our church, and so I get to encourage them daily to bring their friends to youth while they find me on the playground during supervision duties. This invites other students near-by to know that I go to church, and some have asked me where I go and/or told me where their families attend. Recently I have had about 9 girls follow me around, intrigued about the growing life inside of me. They want desperately to know the name of my unborn, but Brandon and I have chosen to keep this a secret until her birthday.

I did tell them that if they could guess, I would give them $5.00, they immediately inundated me with their proposals. The Rumpelstiltskin in me wanted to turn this riddle into something more appealing, so I offered them a clue per week. First I revealed the gender. Then I told them that it ended in the "uh" sound like my former two: Hannah, Zechariah. This week I told them that they should pay attention to the names of my other two as it revealed a meaningful theme. One girl caught on and spoiled it for the rest revealing that they were biblical names. Today I caught the girls huddled up, reading through a bible trying to find girl names. I smiled, as I know that God can use anything to make his word known.

I pray I can continue to find a way to be a light to my faith, but also uphold the responsibilities of my new job. I don't ever want to push my beliefs on another person-that's not the point. But I do feel the need to make my beliefs known as an option to others who are curious as to why I live my life the way I do, and to present an alternate theory to that of the world's.