What was Planted

 

I had my three student teachers (Jessica, Katie, and Kylie) from SPU over for dinner last night, and it was such a treat to celebrate the seeds that were planted this year and to close this chapter with these amazingly thoughtful young women. 

💕

The year is tilting toward summer now,

and we pause—exhausted, relieved, grateful.

You have carried so much:
lesson plans and assessments,
classroom management and relationship-building,
early mornings and long evenings,
moments of confidence and moments of doubt,
students whose stories stayed with you long after the school day ended.

You have stepped into the work of teaching—
planning, adapting, encouraging,
learning when to lead and when to listen,
holding high expectations while extending grace.

You stretched yourselves in ways you could not have anticipated,
and gave more of yourselves than you knew you had to give.

Now, as the final days drift near,
you are holding the tension—
between pride in what you've accomplished,
and the awareness of all there is still to learn.

The growth. The perseverance.
The courage it took to keep showing up.
The sacred, often unseen work of helping young people learn and flourish.

The bittersweetness of it all.

God, help us to honor this season—
not just the visible successes,
but the quiet moments of caring,
the lessons learned through mistakes,
and the deep investments of presence, patience, and love.

💕

May your fatigue be met with gentleness.
May your summer bring the rest you need,
and the confidence to recognize how far you've come.

As the pace softens,
may you find joy in what was planted,
gratitude for what was learned,
and peace in what must simply be left unfinished.

And may you remember:
the seeds you planted matter,
the relationships you built matter,
and whatever was done in love will remain.

(adapted from a prayer from Kate Bowler)