One for the Gipper...

Well we didn't win one...but we stopped in South Bend, IN for the night and we had one for the Gipper. Alright, we had a Guinness because you kinda have to when you're in the home of the Fighting Irish (but I didn't let it spoil my dinner) It was after dinner, and it is actually helping my calm down for bed. I say calm down, because I think I'm finally having that moment (yeah, the one where I go "what was I thinking?") so before I admit that I'm really having that moment, I think this might be the appropriate time to share why I'm doing this:

I have spent the last 5 years thinking about teaching, and its been a long process of thought to get where I am now. I started hanging out with high schoolers at Rogers HS volunteering with Young Life in Spokane. I noticed that these kids have a tendency to feel abandoned if you leave them (I think I remember that feeling).

Then, about the time I started thinking about teaching kids (so that I could hang out with them more), I got an email from a friend about schools in NYC that were having trouble keeping the good teachers in the city schools because at the first chance they would take jobs out in the burbs because they are "nicer" kids or "family friendly" neighborhoods. A few months later, a guy came to our church and talked about a completely contrary ideal: how he had moved his whole family INTO Chicago and became involved in the culture and community to make his ministry effective.

I heard all this, and then began thinking about my life as a single male from Bend, OR...I had learned so much about being culturally sensitive and developmentally appropriate...but what had I experienced outside of my own understanding. I felt like God was saying: "I'm trying to send people...but they keep leaving. I have only a few who are willing or able, now who am I going to send?" Actually, I'm pretty sure God doesn't ask questions like that...because He knew I was going to do it anyways (don't worry...my dad and I will expostulate free will tomorrow!). But the fact remains, that I have a few skills and God likes people with skills. Ok I'm being a little ridiculous (but that is because its 2 AM here and I can't figure out what time zone I should be getting used to!) but I do have a few skills, and the blessing of being single and childless (sorry Grandma...I mean Mom!) and I think this could be a great way to serve as a teacher and invest in kids. I am not trying to save the day, or start a Jesus Camp in the ghetto, or even make myself out to be doing something no one else would (because actually, I applied for so many jobs in other big cities that other people are going to do better and with more experience). I am just going to teach some junior highers math...and kids are more interested in getting digits than adding digits (think about it).

Alright, now that I've reminded myself (and told some of you who didn't get bored and stop reading) I think I'll be able to avoid having "that" moment. In other news: a yogurt truck wrecked on I-80 (Nebraska) this morning causing serious boredom and picture taking along an unscheduled detour route; no news is good news in Iowa; the detour caused us to miss the White Sox game and drive straight thru Illinois; I'm finally in the right time zone...so I think its time for sleep even though I don't know how I drove EAST from Bend, OR...and wound up in SOUTH Bend, IN. Maybe sleep will cure me!