Treasure

Friday August 30, 2013

What kind of treasure?

The paradoxical kind!

Stay tuned for my quote today, Fave #5.

I’m linking up today with Susanne of Living to Tell the Story for Friday’s Fave Five, where we share the blessings of our week. Won’t you join us?

My favorites this week:

1. First week of college teaching. It’s so nice to see what a difference a few years makes. My students are from all different kinds of places with different preparation (I’m still figuring that out), but they’ve all expressed a desire to improve their skills. That’s so nice. I have some very motivated high school students too, but let’s face it, the maturity level is just different. Sometimes I feel like I have a split personality—my morning (high school) personality and my late afternoon (college) personality. It’s also interesting how both of those teaching experiences enrich the other. Blessed to be doing both.

2. Sweet words from friends and family—about Pearl. Friends and family are reading their newly-acquired copies of Pearl, and it’s so nice to hear their reactions.

3. The difference a year brings. If you don’t know what last year held for us (or even if you do), check out Tuesday’s post, A Summer Redeemed. This summer, after such an incredibly hard road, my son shed his brace and cane and walked out of the church with his bride. This time last year we had just taken him back to Kentucky and settled him back in his apartment and classroom. He juggled teaching and physical therapy, fighting pain and fatigue. Our afternoon conversations this year are so different! He’s feeling so great, and of course, is as happy as can be living with his sweet wife. We’re so thankful for what God has done and continues to do.

4. Watching students write—voraciously! In my high school creative writing class, sometimes our free-writing time is over and they don’t want to stop. Or they bring in what they’ve written at home, even though that’s not a requirement. It makes for great afternoons.

5. This quote:

“We cannot seem to escape paradox; I do not think I want to.” (M. L’Engle)

A paradox is a statement that is seemingly contradictory or opposed to common sense and yet is perhaps true. Life is full of them; the gospel is full of them. After all, Christ turned the religious establishment’s way of thinking upside down. His “life from death” seems opposed to common sense, but it’s the truest of true.

And I, like Madeleine L’Engle, revel in those paradoxes. They make life interesting and wonderful and full of treasure hidden in the darkness (Isaiah 45:3).

Wishing you treasure this coming week,