Gotta Love Substitute Teachers

Yesterday I went in to substitute teach at the middle school, and taught 6th grade and 8th grade English classes.  The teacher I subbed for was terrific, because they left me straight forward and easy to understand directions.  His instructions made sense,  were easy to follow, and they worked.  All I had to do was read them, and follow them.  It made my life as a sub SO much easier.  Not every sub understands that.

Sometimes subs come in and want to add to the teacher's guidelines, so that they can be "creative" or "impressive".  They work above and beyond what is expected of them, ignoring the advice of the very person in charge of the class.  It usually tanks.  You remember them from your days in school. 

Then there are the subs who don't care enough to actually do the work given to them.  They're just passing time, getting paid, and going home.  The class is pointless in their hands.   These are the ones you always see in every dumb movie about high school.

I really just want to be the sub who does what is expected of me, and enjoys the day as best I can.  So today, I'm reading in Deuteronomy 30, and God lays out a teacher's plan for life.  Here's what He drops in our laps:

"10 if you obey the Lord your God and keep his commands and decrees that are written in this Book of the Law and turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. 11 Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach.12 It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, “Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?”13 Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask, “Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?”
14 No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it. 15 See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction."

I love that phrase "it's not too difficult for you or beyond or reach".  He keeps life's commands simple.  If we follow them, it all works.  If we try to make things to difficult (here is where religion comes in), we'll miss it.  We'll live stressed out lives that don't go anywhere.  If we ignore him and do things our own way, we end up with a life that's chaotic, like an 8th grade gym class.

God's word is very near us, in our mouths and hearts.  He has given it to us.


It's up to us to read the manual left for us, and decide what sort of follower we want to be.


I'm so glad He left great instructions!