In this world you will have trouble. Take heart! I have overcome the world.

(John 16:33)
The Life Jacket___________________________
At the middle school where Carmen taught math, she often felt as if she was drowning, however, she
was not anxious or fearful about it. This had become her new normal. She felt wave after wave pushing her
underwater again and again. The waves came from students, parents, administrators and co-workers. Last year
her school had been rated as underperforming due to the low test scores of twenty students in one ethnic sub-
population. Even though the school’s total overall academic performance last year had improved, wave after
wave of reforms were instituted at the campus as led by her principal and district specialists.
Carmen was serving under a second year principal as well as several new instructional specialists who were all trying to prove
to their administrators that they were doing all they possibly could to improve student performance while establishing authority over the
staff at the same time. Metaphorically, the school body had a broken wrist, but instead of treating the broken wrist, it had been placed
in ICU and hooked up to all kinds of new machines which were all the new materials, strategies, programs and accountability
procedures being implemented - even in subjects and grade levels where the school had outperformed other similar schools in the
district or region. The rounds of before and after school meetings were brutal and highly invasive to teacher autonomy and decision
making. Everything in the classroom was becoming scripted by someone outside of the classroom.
Carmen was a master math teacher and her students had always outperformed other students in the school and district. Her
students, coming primarily from low income neighborhoods, had scores commensurate with or above the schools serving affluent
student populations yet no one in her school or district ever asked her or wanted to know what she was doing to produce such results.
Had they asked, Carmen’s response would have been, “Jesus”, followed by a description of the strategies, materials, and methods He
had given her. Carmen’s voice was never heard because no one thought to ask. Those above her in authority were motivated by fear
and a desire to please people, not by wisdom or inquiry of the Lord. The once shining star math teacher had been forced this year to
implement strategies and use materials that were not as effective as her own while being told she was responsible for the results.
State exams had recently ended and Carmen thought perhaps she could unplug from the many machines and agendas yet,
even before the results of this year’s state tests were in, the foundation for more new changes were being established.
Carmen had slowly socially and emotionally withdrawn from other faculty members due to the sheer amount of time it took to
complete mandated curricular changes. At the same time she pressed into the life of Christ and her relationship with Him. Carmen
knew her refuge and strength was not her profession, her personal success, her students’ test scores, her principal, her evaluation, her
own self, and not even the campus prayer group she started which evaporated under the constant duress and pressure of the school
year. Her refuge and strength was Jesus and Him alone.
As the year progressed, Carmen began spending ten to fifteen minutes on her knees behind her desk each morning with the
Lord before school started. Over and over she saw herself as the woman with the issue of blood pushing through a crowd to reach her
Savior (Matt. 9:20). God sheltered and protected her. He gave her revelation knowledge and led her to scriptures that fed her soul. He
gave her scriptures to stand on such as “You will have trouble. But take heart! (John 16:33) and “Take courage!” (Mark 6:50) She
posted them in her room with no biblical references on them. She had the youth memorize them and chant them in unison. She
stopped worrying about test scores – she let them go. Through this crisis year, her identity was solidified in Christ alone.
While attending a Christian Educators Association conference last summer before the school year started, Carmen had spent
40 minutes alone with Jesus inquiring of Him regarding the coming school year. The Lord directed her to get a life jacket as a
classroom prop. He told her to write on the jacket two bold words, “I AM”. In the journal time at the conference, Carmen had written
down the message the Lord wanted to give her for the year, “I AM I AM and I AM your life jacket. You will not drown this year though
much of the time you will feel like you are under water. Trust me, hang on to me. I will keep you afloat. Trust me. I will always bring you
back to the surface no matter how deep a wave may push you under. You can never go deeper than my hand can reach. Entwine your
life with my Word, the straps on the life jacket, and get ready for a professional ride like none other you have ever experienced. You
have always liked roller coasters. Get ready for the professional ride of your life. Know I am right beside you. Love Always, Jesus”
After the summer conference, Carmen found an old battered orange life jacket with white straps at a local thrift shop for $3.00
which she took to school. Using a black magic marker she wrote I AM on it in large letters. That life jacket is what she rested her knees
on as she prayed behind her desk each day. Sometimes when she felt like she was drowning she would wear it around the classroom
while teaching. The students loved the novelty of it and asked her questions about it which gave her a chance, not to proselytize, but to
tell them simply about Jesus and why she had it in the room. Many of the students also felt as though they were drowning in the
circumstances of their life. The life jacket gave them hope and helped them to understand that teachers struggle and need help too.
They learned that a personal relationship with Jesus helps to keep some of them afloat.
.

Prayer: Lord, help us to take heart and overcome the professional trials before us as we cling to and trust in you.
Reflection: What professionally balances you, keeps you afloat, and sailing on course?
Getting Real: Ask the Lord for a physical object that is not overtly religious that you could place in your classroom or office that would
constantly remind you of His presence and strength. Purchase it and place it in your classroom or office.
CLASSROOM LIGHTHOUSE SERIES: THE GREAT RACE (For info or prayer contact ceaihouston@sbcglobal.net.) WEEK 28