I am finding that the more I give of my heart, the more it expands.
Nothing works like this. Except love.
Shakespeare knew it... in that famous play, Romeo and Juliet, he said (through Juliet)
"My bounty is as boundless as the sea, my love as deep. The more I give to thee, the more I have, for both are infinite."
Love grows when it is given. It is boundless, especially when given away.
My heart has grown in ways I never thought it could...
From the first day in sixth grade to some of my last, my heart is full of love for my students. Not just the ones who are easy to love. But also the ones that drive me crazy... the ones who unleash cuss words on those nearby, the ones who antagonize, and do things just to push the limits.
Sometimes I try to hold my love. Cup it and keep it to myself. I realize that I only become bitter, selfish, and withdrawn from those who desperately need to be loved and accepted.
On a quiet Sunday drive, my heart grew for the destitute who live in sunken trailers with broken windows, who know only a shadow of what I know, but who have experienced more than I ever wish to know... and continued to expand as I have encountered neighborhood after neighborhood where my students live... so different than my own.
My heart has grown in RTI meetings, scribing for kids on the ISTEP, and all of the exhausting preparation that goes into one day of school.
Because love is infinite. It continues even when physically I am ready to collapse.
My heart has grown for Hungary as I listen to my American sixth graders squealing with the excitement of learning about this far away place, and "weird" culture.
My heart has grown for learning as I continuously prepare and read up on what I'm about to teach next.
My heart has grown for my own teachers and professors who have invested similar time in making sure I grow and learn as I have.
My heart has grown for those dear friends who find ways to love me even when I am far from loveable.
As I prepare to leave for Hungary in just about a week for the second half of my student teaching, I realize that the Lord will continue to enable my heart to love. To love more students, to love more coworkers, and to love even the unknowns. And yet, I know that the places, the things, and the people I love here will not disappear just because I have more to love. In fact, my love will splinter and grow into a thousand hearts.
No comments:
Post a Comment