Rachel Whisman

At the end of every day, I have a routine with my kids. They line up at the door and as they leave I give them the option of a hug if they want one and by name tell each of my students that “I love them.” They will either embrace me with a goodbye hug or refuse it. Fortunately, 99% of the time they want the reassurance of a goodbye hug. As they leave my classroom some carry a take-home folder with a note to their parents about their misbehavior from the day. Others have a smiley face marked on the calendar reflecting a great day. They leave my room, but ultimately I do not know what they are about to step into at home. No matter how the day goes, I want them to remember and know that I love them. 

It is a discipline on my end as well. I am human. I sin. Kids sin against me. Some days are easier to stand at the door and others are not. Anger and pride flare up on some days as I respond to students in sin rather than with love. Teaching is hard. Handling misbehavior is refining. Managing a classroom of twenty-two sinners only exposes my sin, and sometimes, at the end of the day, I want to act like a seven-year-old and get my way. I don’t want to hug them goodbye. I want them to leave quickly and immediately. 

Fortunately, the Lord is not me. He is patient. He does not grow faint in His love for me. On my “good” days and “bad” days, He still loves me the same. He is not obstinate in showing His love for me and reminding me that He loves me. His love is revealed to us through His perfect and all-wise discipline (Hebrews 12:5-9). He is not cold-hearted towards me but faithful, steadfast, and an eternally burning ember of warmth in my heart as He reminds us in Jeremiah 31:3, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.” His love never wearies, but mine does. He does not get impatient and snatch His word from us when we mess up but uses those pressures to help us draw near to His word. We can embrace what He has to offer or neglect it and shrivel under the weight of trying to take care of it by ourselves.

I see myself in my kids. No matter how the day went I want the reassurance of an “I love you” and a hug and we do have that with God. He gave us His word to remind our very forgetful brains and hearts of who our Father is. He gave us access to Him in prayer. We also have the assurance of this promise, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you,” (James 4:8). The duty on our end is to go to Him. As time goes on, may we be more quick and eager to do just that! 

We are all His kids and He is there with open arms despite the good and the bad days we go through. Always present and willing. Our days end just like my 2nd graders’ day ends. So, how do you end your day? What are the last words you read before going to bed? What are the last words you say before going to sleep? No matter how the day goes, God is there, and may we take delight in His warm embrace of His word and prayer. 

“It is he who remembered us in our low estate, for his steadfast love endures forever. Give thanks to the God of heaven, for his steadfast love endures forever.” -Psalm 136:23,26