In American culture, we hate to take a rest. We love to be busy, complain though we might about our hectic lives. Teachers are no exception. We arrive early, stay late, and sometimes go to school on the weekend. But I was reminded recently that rest is important, too.
I would have liked to keep the news of my pregnancy loss a secret, but I was far enough along that I had told my students--and people could tell I was pregnant by that time. Since they knew about the pregnancy, they had to learn about the miscarriage.
My students and coworkers were wonderful. They prayed for me, found subs, took my miscellaneous extra duties. One teacher even bought my family take-out after seeing me through the day when I found out the bad news.
I took time off work, saw my doctor, and underwent a procedure. This wasn't my first miscarriage. This time, the grief was more physical than emotional. My body had to return to normal; I had to rest.
Resting is hard. We like to be busy, as I mentioned above.
God gave man the Sabbath for rest. Many Christians now take their Sabbath on Sunday, which is my habit. I rest, sing praises, and sit under the preaching of God's Word. There are times in our lives when one Sabbath day is not enough. The loss I recently experienced forced me to rest and to accept help, from people and from God.
"For when I am weak, then am I strong." Again, the verse came home to me. I want so much for God to use me. In order for that to be possible, He must make me see my need.
I hope to have more time for my blog soon. My body is healed; my work load is lightening as the class I am taking winds down. In the meantime, God has blessed me through the gifts of others to me.
Ask for help. Let people give. Let God heal.
