Student teaching is an opportunity for exploration. It’s an opportunity for me to see if God wants me to teach. It’s an opportunity for me to see if I like it as much as I thought I would. I should embrace it. If I don’t embrace it, things will seem crappy. Attitude is sometimes one of the biggest determiners of how much something is enjoyed. Sometimes, in the course of student teaching, I know that I have a bad day because my attitude stinks. I won’t know if I really like teaching if I go into it with a bad attitude. A bad attitude can make a lot of things seem worse than they are. I’ve got to give myself a fair shot at teaching. Some days, an attitude adjustment will give me that fair shot.
Branching off of that – We were made to enjoy creation/life. God has given people the power to enjoy the sun, moon, stars, architecture, teaching, lazy Saturdays, accomplished tasks, and ultimately glorifying the God who loves us immeasurably. What is the key idea? God wants us to enjoy life. To an extent, God wants us to do what we love to do… because he created us the way we are. If I’m created to love art, why would I doom myself to a life of frustration by becoming a business man? I can glorify God in all that I do, so I might as well do what I enjoy.
Secondly, I think I’m more open to doing what God wants me to do if I’m doing what I enjoy. If I love art and I get to do art, then I’ll be happy and more open to seeking out opportunities to thank God for his goodness. If I’m a business man, I’ll spend my days soaked in misery. The last thing on my mind would be the furtherance of his kingdom. Seems counterintuitive (now) to think any other way.
