It's in the Tiny Things

Originally posted on Facebook [Notes] on August 12, 2009 

What makes God so dear to us is not so much His big blessings to us, but the tiny things, because they show His amazing intimacy with us - He knows every detail of each of our lives."

~ The Secret of the Lord, My Utmost for his Highest, Oswald Chambers

The tiny things in life...the radiant smiling faces of both familiar and unfamiliar faces that greet you, the quick arrival of TTC buses, a pleasant conversation, a gentle hug, a well-mannered gesture, a motivating shout or high 5, a funny joke, someone opening the door 4 u, a considerate thought, giddy excitement for varying things, finishing a class at the gym, gazing at beautiful photos that surely capture a million memories...

...these are the moments & times that really uplift & encourage me...

As I was walking home this afternoon from the gym, I saw beautiful blue/purple flowers swaying beautifully in the nice cool breeze...

and...yesterday, while I was at the Metro, I saw 2 elderly women (1 was using a crutch of all things! - The other, being her cheerleader I guess) to get a package of candies that were too high for her to reach. I went over & used my big 5'6" frame (ha ha) to help her grab one. She was grateful, giggled & thanked me w/ a warm smile.

I know that the weather has been somewhat dismal lately, but these are those tiny moments that fill the world around me w/ beautiful rays of sunshine & from which I know that God walks intimately by my side....

On Being Thankful

Originally posted on Facebook [Notes] on October 10, 2009 

On Being Thankful...

When I look at this world, I see so much that saddens me: war, poverty, sickness and suffering. But, in the same breath, I see so much hope and love. I have so much because there is an abundance of blessings to embrace & receive with thanksgiving every single day. My heart is warmed by a smile, my ears are tingled by a kind comment, a hilarious joke & a brilliant thought. I always get lost in the beauty I find in clouds. I can't take my eyes off of them & am mesmerized by their countless unique formations, especially amidst the glorious sunshine and blue skies!

Being in a career where so much energy, heart, love, & time is invested in young children is not only an extremely challenging job with pressures that can often amount to unthinkable headache & heart pain, but every single day is an adventurous journey that takes me to new heights of discovery & to unknown places where being stretched & challenged comes with the territory. The incredible joy that I experience gives me peace when I feel like erupting after I’ve repeated myself 5-6x! It gives me that moment to catch myself when I’m clearly having a difficult moment. It gives me the grace to seek prayer & relinquish my burdens & cares...joy let’s me enjoy the ordinary moments of the day like conversing with my students about things that matter to them or seeing the expressions of my grade 1 students when I trick them into thinking that I’m fishing for spare teeth in my pocket & telling them that I'm going to glue them into the mouths of those many flashing smiles with missing teeth! Hahahaha!. Similarly, I'm swallowed up in joy when I have that moment to enjoy a leisurely quiet walk home and breathing in the crisp air...

I’m so filled with love because I have so much. I’m so privileged & blessed in life....

Family and friends continually teach me that love has sacrifices and despite the various ups and downs of life, we share with each other our joys & despair, as well as our triumphs and failures. I’m thankful for investing in others and for others investing in me. The act of sharing of ourselves can be incredibly rewarding & to witness a blossoming relationship is a beautiful thing to experience. It’s such a time consuming process but like many things, the journey is where you find the genuine beauty. It can be rosy however sometimes the rocky waves will come & take us through uncharted waters. I’m thankful for the many people in my life who love & care for me. You’ve come into my life at different seasons and have become a part of who I am. I’m grateful for the time, laughs, chats, & tears because they have challenged me, matured me and changed me. I thank God for bringing you all into my life...

When the challenges become unbearable, when life takes a detour & the going gets tough, I need only to remember all that I have and be thankful still....Immeasurable joy can only be expressed with unceasing praise & thankfulness to God.

This thanksgiving weekend, I reflect on ALL that I’ve been blessed with but also how in being filled with thankfulness, I can learn to extend in love to others more in more each day of my life, in my corner of the world.

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.

His love endures forever. Psalm 136:1

-S.

Rays of Sunshine & Drizzles of Delight

The past little while has been immensely joyful. In fact, I've been overjoyed primarily in witnessing some powerful movements that my students have made in their overall performance at school, be it academics or behaviour. To any teacher, I think it's safe to say that when you see children begin to transform, heading down the right path, making those steps towards improvement and reaching higher planes towards discovering their potential, one cannot help but to be overwhelmed with indescribable JOY. Of late, my heart has been overwhelmed with this gleeful feeling and I'm thankful for the encouragement because it motivates me to push and encourage my students even more. Actually, the best word would be I hope to instill inspiration, motivation and aspiration in the lives of these young people. I have passion for teaching and I was affirmed of that greatly today as I shared my feelings with my grade 5 students. I told them how proud I was of each of them, to see them be able to make a purposeful decision to give of their best in all that they do. If there was an inkling of inspiration or even a fragment of motivation in my speech, I would have done my job. Sometimes, I feel that these children need to have a fire lit from underneath them before they get rolling...sometimes it takes awhile and at other times, it takes a shorter period of time. Some children work faster and progress and develop faster than others. With so many variables to consider, I still firmly believe that hope needs to be extended to children and certainly opportunities for them to find success need to be provided. As I was sharing with them this afternoon and affirming there good work and encouraging them to push even more, I got the sense that some were emotionally moved and maybe a few were getting teary-eyed! One thing that they know about their Ms. Yee is that I'll never mix mash my words with my students and the truth will always reign supreme.

Another reason for my giddy joy is in recognizing the many simple gifts in life: family, friendship,the joy of food and cooking, smiles and laughter. I give thanks because each is like a breath of fresh air that pulsates the daily rhythm of my life. I'm learning to count my blessings & to acknowledge every good gift that comes from the Father. If I don't practise this habit routinely, I can get lost in an environment of negativity & hopelessness can often suck me right in where I can become a part of grimness and darkness and not of the light.

I believe firmly that teaching is my passionate calling in life. And, this past week, I was affirmed with great JOY, an overwhelming satisfaction & the gratifying feeling a teacher can have when there's change, no matter how big or small. The smiles on my boys and girls, their jokes and innocence (okay, okay, maybe even sometimes their not-so-innocent selves), as well as their laughter, can completely drive me nuts but make me realize how thankful I am to be so privileged to be a part of their education and lives.

Until next time I'm gripped to write the next episode of my journey in teaching...Thanks for reading!
~S.