Recess!!!

As the beginning of the school year draws near, I've been thinking about the new group of first graders who will be filing through my door in a few short weeks. And the one thing I'm dreading…"When, When, When??????"
See, first graders can't tell time; at least not yet. It's one of the skills we work on as part of the math curriculum. So until we get to that point, I am the official timekeeper of the classroom. And it drives me crazy! Let me explain.
The pivotal point of the school day is recess. You remember,- don't pretend you don't. Even thought we act all educated and academic now, as kids the only thing we really wanted was one half hour of playtime nirvana. And the same holds true today.
So while I try to establish a routine with my students in the first weeks of class I am bombarded with question after question after insanity inducing question!!!!!

"What time do we have recess?"
"Is it time now? "
"I see the kindergarders at recess? Why can't we go to recess? We're older we should go first."
"Last year we got to go to recess 2 times. Why can't we go 2 times this year?"
"Is it time for recess?...In the afternoon? …Is it afternoon yet?"

It drives me bananas. What they don't realize is that the only thing better than a being a kid sent out to recess, is being a teacher sending the kids out to recess. We look forward to seeing them go. I just want to tell them, "Listen! I want you to have recess too! And when it's time, I'll tell you. Don't worry. I won't let you miss it!"
But now I have to confess. In life, I tend to be a first grader. When my pastor once asked hypothetically, 'If you didn't know how old you were, how old would you be?' I immediately answered '6!' I like words that rhyme, glitter, kittens, and giggling. And I can't tell time. Like my students I can't see the eternal time that God has laid out. And on my insecure days I know I pester him about 'When, when, when."

"When am I getting married? Is it time yet? What about now? She's getting married. Why not me? I'm older,- I should get married first. When, when, when?"

The thing is, I know God is pulling his hair out when I act like this. I know he's thinking, "Listen! I want you to have this too! And when it's time, I'll tell you. Don't worry. I won't let you miss it!"

He wants to bless us. Don't believe me? Check out the Message version of
Jeremiah 29:11:
I know what I'm doing. I have it all planned out,- plans to take care of you, not abandon you. Plans to give you the future you hope for.
Yea! I love it! So my role is PATIENCE (not always an easy thing to do.) As hard as it might be to imagine, God is never late. Unfortunately, he's never early either.