I picture myself standing at the door with hand raised, positioned for a knock, but I stop mid-air. As I stand at the door, my mind is in conflict wondering if I even dare try. “Maybe I can work this out on my own,” I think.

This can be a visual of our prayer life at times. We have blessings for which to be grateful, sins that weigh heavily, struggles that cause pain or worry. We work and work to get through things on our own. When we’re at our last straw, that faith lightbulb comes on— “I need to go to God in prayer.” What took so long? And then I read the words for today’s devotion where Jesus is telling us to ask, seek, and knock. He’s telling me to come to him in prayer. Why do I wait so long?

Prayer—such a simple thing. It’s sharing with God what’s on our heart, right? That’s true but it’s more than that. You may have been reminded that prayer is not intended to be like ordering at a restaurant expecting God to fill our order. God wants us to pray. He wants us to pray for things he wants to give us. When a young child comes to you and asks for something, you make a decision based on what you think is best for that child. Oh, how God’s desire for our prayers and his answer for us is even stronger. Our prayers are based entirely on the unique and unearned relationship we have with God, our Father. Prayer is not trying to convince God to give us what we want but rather to grow in our understanding of what God wants for us.

God also loves when we come to him again and again. As we pray, we watch and wait in hope for God’s response. If we’re honest, we’re often waiting for God to answer the way we want him to answer. The prayer of a faith-filled heart knows that God’s answer to our prayers, whether the answer is “yes”, “no”, or “not now”, comes from his heart full of a love for us that we cannot comprehend. Even more than a loving parent, God wants what’s best for us and his response to our prayers always comes from that love. Knowing that, we can go to him with complete confidence and trust. We can pray boldly. We can also pray for God to help us to grow in our understanding and trust for his will for our lives.

So, walk right up to that door without any hesitation. Ask. God wants to hear your prayer. Seek his will. He wants you to grow in faith in him. Knock on the door trusting that God will always respond in his way out of love for you.

You have your list in front of you detailing the tasks for the day. It’s a long but doable list and you get right at it. Your phone rings. As you look at the number, what’s your reaction? Recently a number popped up on my phone and I’m ashamed to say that my first reaction was, “I don’t have time for this. This person never talks for less than an hour and I have too many things to do to take this call.”
As we reflect on today’s readings, we are reminded so clearly of God’s command for us—love one another. Nowhere in Scripture will you find God’s daily task list for us except the list that tells us to love one another. That’s not to say that the tasks that we do are unimportant. They most often are. God wants us to be faithful to the responsibilities he has blessed us with. However, we can be so focused on our tasks, that we lose sight of those around us.
“[God] loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” Atone means to make amends for. In this verse, we see that we aren’t the ones making the amends for our sins. Jesus is. God sent Jesus to take any and all punishment that we all deserve for our sins. Jesus made us, “at one”, in unity, with God the Father through the cross. That’s a love beyond understanding. Our response? “Since God so loved us”, since God did this for us, he tells us to turn and share that love for others.
I took that call with a less than loving attitude and soon found myself wrapped in a conversation with someone who needed an ear, an encouragement, a reminder of God’s grace and love. As I hung up, I was glad that I had picked up and ashamed of my initial reaction. What on my list was more important than the person I just spoke to?
Reflect each day, my friends, on the grace, mercy, and love that God gives us each and every day. He does so with a heart full of love for us. We don’t deserve his love and can’t earn his love, especially not by the tasks on our lists. But we can reflect and share that love out of gratitude and in praise of the love he so freely and abundantly gives us.
Get at your list but take that call. Make that call. Set time to be with someone you know who needs to hear about God’s love and grace for them. Don’t mark it off your list but keep it there each and everyday with hearts full of humble gratefulness for God’s love for us.

“I will never be shaken.” Such words of confidence! Have you ever said these words or something similar? “I won’t back down.” “I won’t give up.”
Even when spoken in the Superman pose with feet spread, hands on our hips, and head held high, there’s a voice we hear that says, “Really?” We try to be the faithful fan who cheers even in a losing game or season. We commit to a healthier lifestyle. We might commit to being more faithful in reaching out to friends or family. Commitment helps us meet goals but if we’re honest, commitment is hard and more often than not, we don’t keep those commitments.
What about our faith commitment? Are we “all in” or a “fair-weather” person of faith? Jesus is clear in his expectation for those who follow him—“all in.” Jesus shared with his disciples and others what it means to be a follower. It means loving him more than anything else. “Of course I do,” you may think. If we’re honest, do we? Do we always put God first in our lives no matter the cost? If we took a hard look at our lives, our priorities, our activities, are we really putting God first? The truth? We’re not capable of making that level of commitment…not on our own. We fail and fail even with the best of intentions.
All this can be discouraging. We commit over and over to be more faithful in worship, join that Bible study, read a morning devotion each day, pray faithfully. It’s lasts for a bit and then fades. It’s disheartening and leaves us with a feeling of guilt.
However, there’s good news—amazing news actually. That spiritual fatigue that we experience can find rest in God. When we recall how he sent Jesus as our Savior, we are reminded that our most significant burden, sin, was taken care of by Jesus. Jesus is our rock—he’s not going anywhere. He’s our fortress—protecting us from the evils of Satan, the evils of the world, and even ourselves. He’s our salvation-the gift of peace knowing that sins are covered, forgiven, gone.
Exhale. Jesus has done it all for us. We can rest spiritually in God in a way that is unlike any earthly rest. We can say with confidence (with or without the Superman pose) that Satan, the challenges of this world, and our own sinfulness, will not consume us. We can say, “It is well with my soul.” (CW21 850) We have the peace and rest that comes from God alone. “[We] will never be shaken” from God’s loving care for us because of him and what he has done for us and our salvation.

There are so many things in the world that I just don’t understand. I put a tiny, dead-looking seed in dirt and with water, light, and time it becomes a beautiful flower or delicious herb. I tear a piece of paper and it’s forever torn. I get a cut on my hand and in time, it heals, and you would never know it had been cut.

Here’s one that is hard to wrap my head around. God is three persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. At the same time, he is one God. Three Gods in one. One God in three. This is referred to as the Trinity. This is, without a doubt, not something we will ever understand this side of heaven. There isn’t any way for our limited human understanding to grasp this. Faith helps us believe it, even without understanding it. And yet, even though we don’t understand it, it’s true. We know that because of what we learn in God’s Word.

This Sunday was Trinity Sunday where we focused on the Triune God, three in one and one in three. Today’s verses reflect all three persons of the Trinity in a blessing that is often used at the close of worship.

• The LORD bless you and keep you;
  • This references the work of God the Father who lovingly cares and provides for our earthly needs, protection from sin and evil, and keeps us faithful to him.
• The LORD make his face shine on you and be gracious to you;
  • God the Son has saved us from sin through the cross and the empty tomb. In him we have God’s grace and forgiveness. Because of Jesus, God looks at us with a deep and profound love with our sins covered through Christ.
•  The LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace.
  • Here we see the work of the Holy Spirit. He is the one who works faith in our hearts and causes our faith to grow. His work in us gives us the peace and confidence that only faith in God can provide.

The Trinity—all serving us in their unique roles and serving as one God. What a mystery and what an indescribable blessing! What does this mean for you and for me? God the Father loves us. God the Son saves us. God the Holy Spirit gives us faith. Three in one and one in three. We thank God for faith to believe what we don’t understand and for the blessings we receive from the Triune God!

Relentless. Betsy was absolutely relentless. This little girl had in her mind that if she kept asking, the answer would eventually be the one she hoped for. You either have a child like that in your class, remember a child like Betsy, have a Betsy in your family, or may even have been that child.

Today’s reading is a prayer, spoken by the apostle Paul, for the people in Ephesus. It’s clear how much he cared for them. Did you notice how he started this part of the prayer—“I keep asking that God the Father…” ? He keeps going to God the Father in prayer on their behalf. He knew them well including their strengths, their opportunities, and their challenges. In verse 15 he mentions their “love for all the saints.” It sounds like they were a caring congregation watching out for one another. Paul’s prayer for them focuses on a couple of key areas:

• The Spirit of wisdom and revelation: Paul wants them to know more and more about God which will lead to growth in faith.
• That the eyes of [their] heart may be enlightened: Paul wants them to know as much as possible about God and his Word. Why? Paul gave three reasons:
  • So that they can understand the hope to which God has called [them]. That hope is not a wish but the assurance that grace is theirs.
  • So that they know the riches of his glorious inheritance: Heaven is theirs through faith. They can’t do anything to earn it. It’s a gift from God.
  • So that they can know of his incomparably great power for all who believe. God’s power is above anything we can imagine. This is God who created all things and through Jesus, provided relief from sin and the peace of heaven.

Paul’s prayer is that the people of Ephesus never waiver from the faith they have. That, my friends, is our prayer for each other as well. As you wrap up this year, remember your colleagues who serve within your own ministry and those who serve in other early childhood ministries. Like Paul, we can go back and back, asking the Lord to keep each other strong in the faith, growing in the Word, confident in God’s grace for us, and filled with awe of God’s power.

Like Betsy, let’s be relentless when we go to God in prayer on behalf of each other. May each of us be an encouragement for one another and a reflection of God’s grace for us.

How many times a day do you encourage the children in your care or your own children to, “Be nice”? As they work at sharing that toy that is their favorite one ever—“Be nice.” While they want so badly to be first in line but it’s their turn to be in the middle of the line—“Be nice.” When one child is struggling with self-control, and you are encouraging the other children to be patient—”Be nice.” It can be easy for a child to be nice when all is going well, but not as easy when things don’t go their way, or another child is not nice to them.

Take a minute and reread today’s verses.

Did you know that Jesus shared these words with his disciples in the Upper Room the night before his crucifixion? He knew clearly what was about to happen. He had this last time with all of them. He knew just what he wanted to say and what they needed to hear. He’s letting them know that he would not be with them physically, but he would be with them. Jesus gives them words of encouragement to face what’s coming. Jesus says, “As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” He’s reminding them of his love for them. Did you notice that he calls them his children? What a term of love and endearment! He tells them and he tells us to love each other. Not just, “be nice” but truly love each other. Why? Because of him, his love, all he had done, was about to do, and would continue to do for them and for us. Jesus also emphasizes that as they exude and reflect his love, others will know that their love comes from Jesus.

How about us? “Love one another” sounds so simple. You and I might think, “I’m a nice person. I’m kind to others.” This love that Jesus describes goes deeper than simple niceties. It’s what’s called agape love—a love that sacrifices for others. It’s a love for those who are not easy to love. It’s a love that comes from the love Jesus has for us.

And so, “Be nice” but even more, “love one another.” Think of the enduring love the Savior has for you. That loves motivates us and fills us with a love that reaches out to those around us in ways that reflect our Savior. So you can and do love one another out of love for Jesus. You can and do love one another as a way to reflect his love to others and point them to him.

Have you ever had the experience where someone comes up to you, you look at them and think, “They look so familiar, but I just can’t place them?” You run into this person in a completely different setting than you normally would and your mind struggles to put it together. Once you start talking, it clicks, and you realize who it is you’re talking to.

The disciples had gone through a lot. Jesus, the one they loved, the one they spent so much time with, had been crucified. Three days later they got word that he had risen from the dead. While in hiding in fear, Jesus appeared to them in a locked room with the words, “Peace be with you!” (John 20:26). In our reading today, the disciples are at the Sea of Galilee, doing what they had done so often—fishing. Peter knew all about fishing but this time, as had happened in the past, no fish. Early in the morning after fishing all night, they hear a voice from the shore asking about their catch. Nothing—that’s what they had caught. The man gave them instructions to put their nets on the right side and try again. Now what? Nets brimming with fish! So many fish that they couldn’t pull the nets into the boat. Does all this sound familiar? Suddenly the light goes on and they realize who is on the shore. What an amazing moment, yet again. Here is Jesus. Watching over them and once again providing for them. What a breakfast they had that morning!

In this account, Jesus is reminding us, too. As we go about each day, Jesus is there with us all through the day. His heart is full of love for us as he watches the joyful things, the challenging things, the disappointing things, and the sinful things. And yet, we can so often be like the disciples who didn’t always recognize that he was right there with them. How often do we muddle through our day without much thought about him? We can take so long before we recognize and remember to turn to him with our thanks, our repentance, our petitions.

Never forget that Jesus is there, right beside you, right behind you, right in front of you. He’s there to guard and guide you. He’s there to comfort and encourage you. He’s there to remind you of your need for a Savior and then to grant you his grace and forgiveness. He’s there providing innumerable earthly blessings, too many to count. Your net is full of his blessings both spiritual and earthly. Thank you, Lord!

Can you imagine what it was like for those who walked to the tomb that Easter morning? I imagine the grief they were wrestling with. I think about the questions that may have been rolling around in their minds. I think of Mary, so overwhelmed with sadness that she didn’t even realize that it was Jesus, risen from the grave, talking with her. And then, as he spoke her name, everything changed. Imagine her face as she looked up into the eyes of her Savior. I cannot fully comprehend that moment.

Aren’t we often so much like Mary, the Mary walking to the tomb? We can be so focused on the path in front of us, the tasks before us, the weight of our sins and a sinful world. We so often go through days with our heads down, literally and figuratively. We struggle to focus during worship, during devotions, during prayer or Bible study. Our minds wander to those earthly things that so easily distract us.

We just celebrated the journey of Holy Week from Jesus’ triumphant ride into Jerusalem, the Lord’s Supper, the Garden of Gethsemane, the trial, the suffering Savior on the cross, and finally the inexpressible joy of the empty tomb. We left those Easter services with hearts full of joy and peace rejoicing over the Risen Savior. We celebrated with family and friends. And then comes Monday.

Our verses today remind us to keep our hearts on things above, on Christ. Like Mary, look up at our Savior Jesus. Remind yourself and those around you that Easter isn’t a day, but the message of the Risen Savior is for every day. Because of what Jesus has done for us, each day we can face the challenges of our life on earth with a joy and peace that comes from confidence in the promises kept by our faithful God. Set your mind on things above, on what God has done in love through Jesus. As you walk through each day, let these realities empower your life, rejoicing that heaven is yours. He is risen! He is risen, indeed!

You’re outside on a lovely spring day. The children are playing happily on the slide, the swings, in the grass, some are playing with balls. What an idyllic day. And then, out of the corner of your eye you see it. She’s running with a full belly laugh alongside her two dearest friends. As she runs, she turns to see how close they are. In that split second, you see what she doesn’t see—another child about to cross her path. Fortunately, you are close enough to intervene just in time. Crisis averted this time.

Aren’t we too often, just like this little one? We run along each day from one task to the next. We have lessons to create, prep work to do, meetings to attend, meals to prepare, rooms to clean, reports to write, and on and on. Some days are like the joyful play of the children we serve. And some days, have bumps and potholes and challenges that can throw off that joy. We can so easily become discouraged, frustrated, and overwhelmed with guilt and disappointment. Our disappointment is with others or ourselves. We struggle with the guilt of thinking we haven’t done enough, or haven’t done it well enough, or will never seem to conquer a challenge.

Today’s verses can remind us that our life is like a journey or a race. The runner who focuses ahead, who keeps their eyes on the finish line seems less affected by the cheering, the commotion, and the distraction of others around them. They keep their eye on the prize that could be theirs. They see the potholes and are able to get around them. They face the challenges with every effort they have. Runners learn quickly that turning your head to check out the runners behind them will slow them down and can even take them off course. Once they refocus on the finish line, they are more likely to do well.

As we go through each day, we too, can be tempted to keep looking back at past sins, past mistakes, past failures, even knowing that these are all forgiven by God’s amazing grace. Yes, we can learn from the past, but over focusing on the past can hinder our growing in Christ and living for him. As God’s dear child, we strive to live lives of serving him and reflecting his grace in all we do. I don’t know about you, but I struggle every day with a balance of striving for perfection and recognizing my inability to achieve this. Today’s verses remind us to keep our eyes looking straight ahead confident in the gift of God’s amazing grace and eternal life with him as coheirs of heaven.

My dear colleagues, press on in faith. Keep your eyes on the prize, on the gift of God’s grace and eternal life. Heaven is ours. Our troubles here on earth are temporary but even during the challenges, we can look to the Word and be reminded that heaven is already ours. You are God’s dear child. Keep your eyes focused on what’s ahead and run through life with faith and joy.

One of the greatest joys of teaching young children is witnessing independence being born. An incredible transformation occurs over the course of the school year. We swell with pride when our students no longer need us to hold their hand, tie their shoes, or explain the directions for the umpteenth time.

Children spend most of their childhood acquiring the skills needed to live an independent life. The goal is to set them up for success without them having to rely so heavily on their parents or their teachers.

Maybe it’s because we spend so much of our lives learning to be independent, that we tend to struggle depending on others or even on our Savior when it comes to temptation. We take pride in not needing encouragement or help.

Right when we think we can get through this life and its temptations alone, we are precisely at our weakest. “So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! No temptation has seized you except what is common to man.”  Maybe we have said the phrase “I can do it myself” so often over our lifetime that we begin to think we are meant to do it all alone.

Did you know that this passage to the Corinthians preaches exactly the opposite? In the phrase “he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.”, the Greek for the word “you” is in its PLURAL form- y’all (if you’re from the South like me).

Paul isn’t telling you singular to pull up your bootstraps and simply find the strength to resist the temptation. He is addressing a group, a team, a brother and sisterhood.

We simply aren’t meant to walk this Christian life alone. Together, we can build each other up. Together, we can resist temptation by pointing each other to Scripture and to our Savior- the source of our strength.

Independence is a beautiful thing. What a blessing to watch a child blossom and grow into their unique self. Dependence can be just as beautiful of a blessing from God. We were given Christian brothers and sisters to lean on when trials and temptations knock on our door.

Let us also not forget the greatest blessing of all- a Father who provides a “way out” when our load seems too heavy to bear.  God is faithful. He will provide a way. Take his hand. Depend on him.

My sister recently sent me a picture of a “googly eye” that had somehow stuck to her computer’s power cord along with the text “Tell me you’re an early childhood teacher without telling me you’re an early childhood teacher.”

As I sat there and laughed, my husband asked me what was so funny. After explaining, he sat there with a confused look on his face and asked, “What’s a googly eye?”

I guarantee if you ask any early childhood teacher what a googly eye is, they will know exactly what you are talking about. There are just some things you’ll never understand unless you’ve worked with young children. You could read a book about it or listen to others talk about it, but it takes getting into the trenches to really “get it”.

That’s why this section of Hebrews is so beautiful. It assures us that Christ can completely relate to us and what we are going through. “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin.” God gets it!

You and I walk on the same earth as the Son of God did thousands of years ago. His life was filled with the same temptations that you and I face daily. He can sympathize with how hard this life can be.

Jesus didn’t stay on his throne and leave us to figure it out for ourselves. He left his heavenly home and put himself in the trenches, elbow to elbow with his brothers and sisters, to experience this life. And here’s the best part- he did it perfectly! When we fail, we know that his grace covers our sins and his mercy is new each day.

After some of my hardest days of teaching, I found comfort in talking with my coworkers. I was encouraged by their similar experiences they had that day. It felt so good to know that I wasn’t alone.

When we face hard days on this earth, we have a Savior who knows and has experienced the same things. Verse 16 assures us that we can bring them to him. “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

So go, run to the One who gets it. Grace and mercy are waiting.

Ministry is not for the faint of heart. The NIV entitled this section, “Love in Action”. So often, as teachers, we focus on our students and their families. I’d like for us to use these verses and apply them to our faculty.

Think about the people that you work with and what it would be like if everyone was…

“…devoted to one another in love. Honoring one another above yourselves.” (v.10)
“Never lacking in zeal, but keeping spiritual fervor…” (v.11)
“…joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” (vs.12)

Think of the work a faculty can do when they…

“Live in harmony with one another.” (vs. 16)

Do you lean on your faculty members? If not, try it. God has put you with a group of people to do his work. If you don’t have a large faculty, lean on your school board, a pastor, or a mentor.

Throughout your ministry there will certainly be times when you are persecuted, have cause to rejoice, or go through a rough time and mourn. What a blessing it is not to have to go through all of that alone.

Sometimes we find ourselves putting our heads down and just doing the work that’s right in front of us. Lift up your head, dear friend. Try to notice a co-worker that you could encourage. Make it a point to smile at them when you see them in the hallway. When you feel like no one understands what you’re going through, just know that they might be the ones who understand the most.

The Lord has put the people in your life for a reason. Live in harmony with them. When they rejoice, rejoice with them. If they’re struggling, lift them up. Spur them on in their ministry. Pray for them.

Love in action takes work. It takes time. It takes intentionality. Ask the Lord to help with this. Ask Him to instill in you these qualities so that you can be a productive part of your group, reflecting God’s love to those around you.

Maybe your faculty is great at this. Praise God!

Maybe your faculty could use some work. Pray to God!

You are a team, put together, by God, to do his work.

May God bless you in all of your efforts.

Many moons ago, I asked my class what they were afraid of. We made a list. Everyone had something to add. I told my students that I was afraid of the dark. We all kind of giggled about it. They thought it was funny that I, the teacher, was afraid of something. Then, I taught the lesson of the disciples in the boat with Jesus. The waves were high, the wind was howling, and the disciples were scared. They were wondering how in the world Jesus could be sleeping during such a storm. “Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, ‘LORD, save us! We’re going to drown!’ He replied, ‘You of little faith, why are you so afraid?’” Matthew 8:23-26

After going through the lesson, we looked back at our list of things that we were afraid of. We came to the conclusion that we don’t need to be afraid of anything, because God is with us! We are under his tender, loving care. Praise the Lord!

The next morning, one of my students walked straight up to me and handed me his nightlight. I gave him a smile and said, “What is this?”. He smiled and replied, “This is my nightlight. I do not need it anymore. You said that you were afraid of the dark. I am not afraid anymore, so you can have it.”
Gulp.

One of my favorite teaching moments of all time.
This sweet student heard the message of the gospel. Through it, he gained faith—that precious, amazing, coveted, child-like faith.
His eyes were uncovered and he knew the truth that God is with us in all things.

We have the message at all times. We can open the Bible and read it. We can click on an app and listen to it. We can watch a pastor preach it on the television or on our computer screen.

Afraid? “Do not fear…” (Isaiah 4:10) Anxiety-ridden? “Cast all your cares upon on him…” (1 Peter 5:7) Tired? “…I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)
When we hear the Word of God we are uplifted. We are rescued. We are rejuvenated.
So, hand over your nightlight. Hear the Word. Believe it. Have faith!

As the children run outside, they’re ready to resume the game they had created. Usually, the game involves lots of running, chasing, superheroes, and princesses. Often someone is taken captive and has to figure out how to escape. At a young age, children already know how important freedom is.

Jesus promised freedom for his people. He was preaching to the people in his hometown of Nazareth when he read these words from the Old Testament book of Isaiah, “He has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed.” (Luke 4:18). Jesus told the people, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” (Luke 4:21). Jesus declared that he was the long-awaited Savior, the one who would bring freedom.

Who needs this freedom? Isaiah identified them as the poor, the prisoners, the blind, the oppressed. Could that be me? Those words don’t seem to describe me. I’m not poor or a slave or blind or oppressed. Or am I? Perhaps physically, these words don’t apply to me, but spiritually they certainly do. On my own, I am held captive by my sinful nature. Even when I want to do what’s right, I so often fail. On my own, I cannot see a solution to my problem of sin. On my own, I am burdened by the knowledge that I can never live up to God’s demand of perfection.

But I am not on my own. None of us are. Jesus did what no one else could do. He preached the good news throughout his life. “Jesus answered, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life.’” (John 14:6). He freed us from our sins through his perfect life and innocent death. He healed our sin-sick eyes, helping us see how to serve him and others in an imperfect world. He released us from death’s oppression when he rose from the dead. We are free!

What wonderful news! And now we are free to share this news with those around us. In our classrooms, homes, and lives, we point people to Jesus our Savior. We thank Jesus through lives of service to others. And, when our time here on earth is done, we will rejoice in the perfect freedom of heaven.

Working in early childhood can be a messy venture. “Don’t lick the table” is a phrase I never thought I would have to say. When cold and allergy season hit, the battle of the germs begins in earnest. Don’t forget to wash your hands! Did you use soap this time? We wipe tables, clean toys, and encourage children to wash away the germs. After all, we want our students to learn and laugh and play with each other, and feeling healthy helps make that possible.

In his letter to Titus, Paul writes about a different sickness that contaminates us. “At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.” (Titus 3:3). All of us are infected with sin from birth. But notice the past tense in that verse: “we too were foolish. . . we lived in envy. . .” How can these sins be gone? We were washed clean. “He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior.” (Titus 3:5-6). Through the waters of baptism and the words of Jesus’ salvation, the Holy Spirit makes us healthy, free from sin’s sickness.

Paul calls this washing a renewal. While we daily struggle with sin, we are renewed by the Holy Spirit to live a new, clean life. Because God so generously pours out blessings of love and forgiveness, we spend our lives serving him and the people around us. We have opportunities in our classrooms as we patiently teach and encourage our students. We help them show their love for Jesus through their songs, prayers, words, and actions. And when we leave the classroom, we spread God’s love in our homes and every place we go. We live lives of renewal, knowing that each day our mistakes and missed opportunities are washed clean.

As many times as we wipe down toys and have our students wash their hands, sickness still strikes us and our students. The Holy Spirit’s washing, however, is perfect and complete. We are clean. We have heaven waiting for us where we will spend eternity with our Savior. And it will be fine to lick the table.