Followby Janine Lawrence, Ministry to Women
The leaves are changing color, drifting through the air, and blanketing the ground. The excitement of the football season has returned with team apparel, painted faces, and appetizer buffets. Traffic is a bit slower in the morning as school buses return to our streets, marking the beginning of another school year.
This is my fiftieth back to school, counting both my years as a student and as a teacher. The Fall to me is always bittersweet. I am sad to let go of the summer, the long days, working in the yard, and forgetting what day it is. At the same time, I look forward to the beauty of the fall, the return to routines and order, and especially to the promise of what new lessons the new year will bring.
The start of this school year has been like none other. I never thought that I would hear students (especially junior high students) say they were excited to come back to school. The absence of regular school over the past couple of years has made many of us realize what we appreciate about the old normal. For many students, the start of this school year is a chance to start fresh, to break the habit of lazy, and to form productive new habits—basically to recommit to the process of learning.
I give my students a yearly challenge to do what it takes to learn. This lecture always includes the fact that learning is not a spectator sport—it is hard work and doesn’t happen by itself. Showing up, being in a seat, and having the right supplies are not the same thing as learning. Students must engage, participate, and not only listen but hear, question, form conclusions, and seek truth if they want to learn.
I heard myself give this challenge, and I realized that I needed to listen to my own advice. In the classroom of my life with my infinitely patient and loving Teacher, Jesus, I have been more concerned with my school supplies and going through the motions than paying attention to the valuable teaching He has for me. I needed that nudge to get me back on track and help me really listen to the Word and not just hear it.
No more approaching Scripture out of habit without preparing my heart to be transformed by the living Word of God. I need to turn off the autopilot and seek the Spirit’s whisper of truth.
Fall is the season of back to school, and it is also the season of change. So I am taking my own advice and recommitting to the process of learning and listening to my true Teacher, the lover of my soul, the voice that guides me toward the Truth and truly does have the power to transform me through the renewing of my mind (Romans 12:2).
Maybe there is some advice you need to listen to? Are there habits that need to change? Fall is a good time to start down that new path. Connect with fellow believers and join a life group or Bible study for company and encouragement along the path. Come to church or livestream the service to receive the Word and be challenged and changed by it. It sounds like Pastor Ryan’s new sermon series on Ecclesiastes will nudge us out of our ruts and old ways of thinking. I’m ready for it . . . are you?
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