Never Underestimate.

I continue to see exactly what God has given me an opportunity to be involved in ~ and I am realizing just how important every moment of every day truly matters.  I had a great conversation this week with a communitas chum about really paying attention not just to the work that you do each day - especially if you love what you do - but paying attention to the opportunities you have to interact with the people you have in front of you each day.  This thought was affirmed to me through an experience I had with Aissata just today.  She is in fifth grade at the school I am working at this year (by the by - today is my last day here, and I am quite excited about that).  You can see her in her hijab in the photo - isn't she beautiful? But I have known A for four years now.  She was in the school I helped open four years ago in East New York - and she is something special.  She is a helper and a great kid that always wants what is true and right to happen in all things.  (And her sister Kaidiatu was in Kindergarten the year we opened the school, and K and her friends teamed up to attack me on the playground and tackle me to the ground - I believe I blogged about the joy in that moment - a highlight of my teaching career.)
But I digress ~ today the teacher invited me into the class to look at the students' timelines, and she made sure I knew to look at Aissata's closely.  In so doing, I was surprised to see what is in the second photo here.  Understand that A's needs sometimes grind on you - she is lovely and at times can get on your nerves.  But I always tried to love her in those moments, or help the other adults to appreciate who she is and love her for her heart.  And I made her timeline.  (if you can figure out why the photo won't load upright, you deserve a prize.) Moments that perhaps she will have on her timeline for her lifetime.  So never underestimate the opportunities you have to interact with others.  God is a powerful God and can bring about good in all things.  Even the minutiae of daily life, your commute, the grocery store, traffic, or someone you are engaged in life with for periods of time.  He is all powerful and glorious and brings to life new things that you never thought possible.  Let's all pay attention to each moment, shall we?

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