Teacher Appreciation Day.

Happy Teacher Appreciation Day (tomorrow)! Below is an email I sent to my awesome coworkers.

Hello wonderful coworkers! Today is Teacher Appreciation Day- what a great day! I wanted to say a huge THANK YOU to all of you for what you've done/continue to do for me, each other, and all the kids! You make a huge difference and I am so appreciative, blessed, and grateful.

We serve a mighty God, and I feel so honored to be blessed with working with you, and I hope you feel the same. What a great purpose we are called to. I know you don't get appreciated near as much as you deserve. You work so hard- graciously wiping nose after nose, comforting many tears, calming fights, encouraging the downcast, correcting and training again and again, laughing with the joyful, and on and on. You clean up spills, spray tables, mop the floor, take out the garbage. You rub backs, whisper sentences to drift to sleep, and comfort bad dreams. You try to make grumpy faces smile. You do a great job communicating with parents- not always an easy job! You lesson plan, laminate, decorate bulletin boards, and hang artwork. You pretty much do everything- you're a superhero. 

We get the opportunity to form young lives toward Christ's love; what a great and high calling. Matthew 25:40 says, "And the King will reply, "Truly I tell you, whatever you did for the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'" Jesus is watching and guiding us all day long. Whatever we do to serve His loved ones, no matter how small, He sees and will reward you. Galatians 6:9 says, "Let us not grow weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." Keep pressing on and don't give up! Those tiny moments are what make our job so fulfilling and rewarding- the moment a child does the right thing when no one is looking but you see it, the moment a child says something hilarious, the moment a friend helps another out of love, the moment after disciplining time after time and the child grows from it, the time you are teaching something difficult and they master it, the moment someone repeats a Biblical truth you taught in another context/situation- we are doing amazing Kingdom work here.

I am so glad God has called us to serve together. I am blessed to work in a place where people don't complain, but lift each other up and ask each other how things are going. 

Psalm 63 is my favorite Psalm. I hope the words below lift you up and encourage you. I pray that you are filled to overflowing, so we can rain Him down onto our kids. Thank you, thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for all that you do. Today (and every day!), know that you are appreciated! 

Love, Kelsey

A psalm of David. When he was in the Desert of Judah.

1You, God, are my God,

earnestly I seek you;

I thirst for you,

my whole being longs for you,

in a dry and parched land

where there is no water.

2I have seen you in the sanctuary

and beheld your power and your glory.

3Because your love is better than life,

my lips will glorify you.

4I will praise you as long as I live,

and in your name I will lift up my hands.

5I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods;

with singing lips my mouth will praise you.

6On my bed I remember you;

I think of you through the watches of the night.

7Because you are my help,

I sing in the shadow of your wings.

8I cling to you;

your right hand upholds me.