Faithful Friends

As a teacher, I have many exciting opportunities to attend conferences with energizing speakers, stimulating classes, and countless resources. Recently, I had the pleasure of attending the Michigan Association of Non-Public Schools, or MANS Conference at the Cobo Center in Detroit, Michigan. After hearing a fantastic keynote speaker, the teachers had many choices of educational sessions we could attend for the next hour.

I intended on going to a session titled, A Teacher’s Bag of Tricks for Grades K-8: Differentiation and Assessment. After I made my way to the conference room where the class was to be held, I discovered every chair was full and the walls were lined with eager teachers. I didn’t want to stand, which guided me to the room next door. I stood in the doorway and looked inside. Seeking some sign of the topic before entering, I decided the small number of people in this huge conference room, the dim lights, and cool temperature, was a clear invitation to come inside.

Heavy with my own burdens, I went to an empty second row in front of the speaker and sat in the center chair. I breathed for a moment, and opened myself to whatever God had in store for me, and hopeful He’d give me exactly what I needed. God is so good and never fails to care for me! It made me smile when the instructor, Glenn Grage, introduced himself and told us the name of the session: Faithful Friends in Crisis Times.

I knew at that moment that Jesus is my faithful friend, and He will be there for me in all my times of crisis, and when I need it most, He’ll send me someone with a listening ear, or a shoulder to cry on. I also learned how important it is for me to be a faithful friend to anyone in crisis, especially my students. Some important points I learned are:

• A crisis is different for each person and is best defined as a decisive movement or turning point in which a decision must be made
• As people move through the phases of their crisis, they will either get worse from the crisis or grow from it
• Faithful friends can help those in crisis grow from the experience by looking to Jesus as an example

Mr. Grage used the story of Jesus Raising Lazarus from the Dead as a step by step example of how I can be “Jesus with skin” to those in crisis.

1. When Jesus heard the news of Lazarus being sick, He taught the disciples that this is not for death, but for the Glory of God. When I hear of a crisis, I must pause and pray for them, asking God to reveal His Glory.
2. Jesus met Martha on the road. She shared her thoughts and feelings, and he didn’t take her feelings personally. He let her talk and then asked for Mary and wanted her brought to him, and he listened to her as well. Like Jesus, I must go to those in crisis and let them talk, share their worries and feelings and just be there for them.
3. Jesus asked Martha and Mary to trust Him. When I completely trust Jesus, I will encourage others in crisis to trust in Jesus, too. Jesus I trust in You!
4. Jesus Wept. To share in the sorrow of those in crisis is to share their burden. I must share their sorrow, and cry with them.
5. Jesus calmly bore the hostility of those in crisis. I must remember that a crisis brings anger and hostility, and I must bear it with love, patience, and humility.
6. Jesus took action, prayed to the Father, and called Lazarus from his tomb. To take action in a crisis situation means I must pray, believe, and see the Glory of God! Love in Christ, Kristin Ball