Noisy Gongs and Clanging Symbols

I can teach amazing words, but if there is no love, it's worthless


1 Corinthians 13:1, 3

"If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 

And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing."

This is one of the passages that I've come across lately that reminds me to practice patience with my students, family, and really everyone; but especially my students. My students test me day in and day out. Sometimes it seems that I can hardly keep myself together and there are many days that I fail multiple times a day. The sad part is, I'm completely aware I'm failing while I'm failing. Patience is not natural for me. 

Especially undeserved patience. Students who are lazy, unprepared, and unorganized are the most likely to tick me off. Some days, I'm ready to freak out. When I have to let the same student go get his/her book for the 25th time (no joke) or I have to give out another pencil, sign another pass to the bathroom, repeat the formula for the area of a rectangle, reiterate my directions...I'm usually steaming. 

Some days go this way (like today) and I don't know how I even make it through. Then, some days, the students are better and everything seems to flow a bit smoother. BUT, the really interesting days are when I humble myself enough to realize that God repeats, reiterates, and redirects me as well. On these days, when I humble myself, I pray for patience, energy, and enthusiasm. On these days, God shows up and I just feel... better. 

Then it hit me when I read 1 Corinthians 13. I have to have patience and love with my kids if I ever hope to give them anything more than a set of mathematical skills (which I do). If I don't have love for my kids, I don't stand a chance of being more to them than just a teacher. And frankly, I don't really care about the education near as much as the opportunity to speak truth - or even better - to show them truth. 

This was a bit of an light bulb moment for me. Its still a struggle, almost daily; but its a necessary struggle if I ever hope to be used by God in school.