God’s Good Hand

Are you ever hesitant to tell about a good thing going in your life? I mean, everyone else seems to have it hard right now. Then there seems to be some unspoken competition to have more reason to feel worn out or to be overwhelmed. To me it seems that many people are starving for attention or empathy or maybe even pity for their current season of life.

When someone asks me how I am or how things are or even what’s going on, I find myself searching for how to answer honestly without recounting recent frustrations, negative notions or common complaints - a busy schedule, lack of rest, high gas prices, unrealistic work expectations, relationship maladies. For my self-centered, self-focused mind I consistently revert to the negative.

Recently, as I’ve run into friends and acquaintances, I’ve been asked how my school year is going. and I find myself hesitating to respond. I want to be honest, but my honest answer is not what anyone has been expecting. Eye brows raise. Looks of disbelief come across faces. “Really?! That’s great!” is the response most people give me.

I’ve been hesitant to respond for a couple of reasons. One, it is not the experience of most of my colleagues. Two, it is not what anyone expects to hear from a teacher. Three, I haven’t wanted to “jinx” my great start to this school year. I found myself saying something like, “Knock on wood, it’s going really well,” or “It could change tomorrow, but right now, things are good.”

Then it occurred to me that I don’t believe in “jinxes.” I do believe in answered prayers and I do believe that my prayers, and those others have prayed on my behalf, have been and are being answered.

As I read the last few chapters of the Old Testament book of Ezra this morning, I found Ezra referred to the “hand of God” multiple times in a way that the Bible doesn’t “usually” refer to it. Generally, when I think of the hand of God I think of His judgment and wrath. I might think about Him having the whole world in His providential and sovereign hands. But neither of those two ways were how His hand was referenced. In chapters 7 and 8, Ezra talks about God’s hand of provision and protection because of His presence. Twice Ezra describes God’s hand as “good.”

While things were far from perfect for Ezra, as he sought God’s direction with a pure heart, he saw God answer his prayers. He gave God credit for providing the way and the finances and the people to accomplish the things that God had told him to do. He could have taken credit. He could have said something like, “Lucky for us, the king has agreed to finance the rebuilding of the temple.” He could have sought alternate means of protection as they traveled back to Jerusalem. Yet, he didn’t. He had faith that God was WITH them and that God was the One answering all their prayers.

As people have asked me about school this year, I have slowly realized and have come to acknowledge that all the prayers I had been praying, and had others praying for me, have been graciously answered in ways I confess that I hadn’t really expected God to answer.

I asked God for great students this year. I asked God for an easy 5th period. I asked God to go WITH me into the classroom. I asked God to shape my attitude toward my instruction, my heart for my co-workers and my motivation in my approach to it all.

He has answered all these prayers by molding my heart, by selecting students for my rosters and by orchestrating real relationships all throughout the building. Are things perfect? By no means. There’s still drama among students and staff. There’s still dysfunction in some processes, practices and procedures. There’s still room to improve my responses and reactions. Yet, I am seeing His “good hand” over it all.

I would like to unapologetically, openly and confidently respond to people’s inquiries about my life and my work with an enthusiastic recounting of God’s goodness and faithfulness. He has done and is doing a work in me and I am seeing the fruit of that work in my work. I know that speaking about His good work will not alter it or halt it. He will continue to answer my prayers and prove Himself faithful.

Why extend a lightening rod? Why knock on wood? My God is for me and not against me. He wants to bless me, to go into the classroom WITH me, to display His glory by providing and protecting through His presence WITH me.

So, how is school going? How has the school year started? No, it hasn’t been easy - but it has been oh, so very good. I have great students. I have good co-workers. I will not qualify these statements any more by saying things like “so far,” or “we’ll see when the scores come out.” I will trust the good hand of God to continue to be upon me and I will tell others - unashamedly of His good hand. He has done it. He will do it. He gets the credit.

Photo by Luis Quintero on Unsplash