the thorn

so if i were forced to choose just one student who comes closest to being the bane of my existence... it wouldn't be too hard.
the thing is that at heart, he's a great kid. he's just very.... umm..... well, i don't think words can even describe.
he exasperates me to no end. every day of my life. he is forever trying to distract me, he rarely does what i tell him to, he cannot stay in his seat.... even his mother has come to me to apologize for her son!
that being said, deep down, i love the kid to pieces. i see the way he lives and the way he loves, and i respect him. just not first thing in the morning.
anyways, anytime teachers are in the staff room complaining about students (which rarely happens, by the way), i ALWAYS have a good story to throw out about what this kid did on any given day.
today's story is different though.

i've been sick all week, and insanely busy too.
today was our last chapel, and we spent time together in song and praying for each other and saying goodbyes to seniors and students who are moving away.
i sat up in the upper section of the auditorium by myself, just watching and wanting some alone time to feel sick sitting down (finally!).
at one point, we were asked to pray for each other... so i began praying for certain students that i knew were struggling and other more generic things.
after a few minutes, i felt a THUMP against my side.
i looked up, annoyed, and as fate would have it, it was of course the aforementioned student.

him: miss, why are you all alone?
me: i don't feel good. i might leave early.
him: oh. don't you know you're supposed to be praying?
me: i WAS praying, until i was so rudely interrupted. *said with a bit of an edge*
him: yeah, well, then i'll just pray and i'll go, ok?
me: ...... uh, sure.... what do you want to pray for?
him: well, YOU...
me: really?
him: *sits down* yeah, let me pray for you.

so this boy spent the next few minutes just praying over me. he thanked God for sending me here and for all the work i do and he prayed that i wouldn't be stressed and that God would heal me. he prayed for lots of things. and as soon as he said "amen", he walked away quietly, before i could even thank him. i just sat there and cried, completely humbled and blessed.

it is so amazing to be in a place where my students are not ashamed to publicly lift their teachers up in prayer, where our students wash our feet, where they love to tell us that they love us...

every morning when i wake up, i thank God that He brought me here.... of all the places in the world....