Parents, Love what you do and do what you love. I had the amazing privilege of going to a marvelous high school called Webb. The teachers were smart and gifted. Two in particular were great at making learning fun and bringing something extra to the classroom, MJ Potts and Sheila Jacobstein. One taught English and one taught Biology. They could have been professors at any college they wanted, but they loved teaching teenagers. You could tell by the way their faces lit up when we students entered the classroom. They were glad to be with us… and by definition that brought us joy whether we acknowledged it or not. Joy can sometimes be hard to come by in high school, but these ladies were a burst of sunshine everyday. Even when we were being knuckleheads, they wisely corrected us, and kept teaching us, not just material, but character, because of who they were. One time the entire class left the classroom and stood outside the window like frozen statues when MJ stepped out for a moment. I don’t know who may have instigated these shenanigans, but she laughed along with us, got us back inside, and regained control of the classroom to teach us English once again. They each, in their own way created an environment that was the optimum greenhouse for learning. Miss Jacobstein was such a wonderful teacher, I took a class that I had no business taking (AP Biology), but took it because she was teaching it. They both did all they could for this average student in the classroom, but also encouraged my other gifts as the student who tried to keep the announcements interesting and encouraging in Chapel everyday and the one who exhorted people to enjoy the concession stand at every home game to raise money for prom. Teenage years can be uncertain and filled with fear, frustration, and misunderstanding. These negative emotions can put our brains in such a state that makes it difficult to learn. But the joy these ladies brought to the campus not only put our brains in a better state to learn, they motivated us and helped us do better... even gave us a little extra joy to share with others, if we were willing. I just had these teachers for an hour a day for a year, but their impact has lasted a lifetime. I remember them with smiles on their faces, happy to be teaching us. It is said that our lives change more from those with whom we are connected than anything we can know or learn from an ordinary book. For the time that we were in their classes they called us their own. These brilliant, good-hearted, fun-loving, dedicated ladies changed many lives in their years at the Webb School of Knoxville. They didn’t do it for the money or the recognition, they did it because they embraced who they were created and called to be. They each helped produce some amazing scholars, but they also invested in the rest of us trying to make us better humans. They loved what they did, but more importantly they cared about those they taught and brought some joy to the high school journey. Apparently they did the same thing at home, because their kids are wonderful humans too!
Paul reminds God’s people, “And work with a smile on your face, always keeping in mind that no matter who happens to be giving the orders, you're really serving God.” Ephesians 6:7 (MSG) Whatever you are divinely called to do, at work, at home, anywhere, love it and those you do it for and with. You may impact a life forever.
Hang in there people! God is with us! I’m praying for you all!
