The Empty Bookshelf

One huge pecan that I have received recently was a new opportunity in my career. Teaching middle school for the last 16 years has been a joy, but once I moved back home it just wasn't the same. Something was missing. I was blessed with the pecan of moving to high school for this fall. Never having taught high school didn't scare me. I was looking for a job that matched my personality. As I prepared my classroom teacher workweek, I moved all of my "stuff" in and unpacked. I was so excited about my new job and adventure that I didn't care about having enough room to store my "stuff." As I continued to unpack, I realized there was way more "stuff" than I ever imagined I had. Every teacher knows this feeling. We think we don't have much "stuff." Yeah, right!

By the end of the week I knew that I was going to have to go buy myself some sort of storage cabinet to get all of my things put away. This didn't sit well with me. Something just kept telling me to deal with my "stuff" in another way. I even went so far as to plan a trip to a used office furniture store and my Facebook Marketplace saves filled up with bookshelves and lateral file cabinets. Every time I planned to stop at the used office furniture store, something came up and prevented my trip. I should have realized the Holy Spirit was talking to me. My "soul ears" weren't listening. What's new about that? In my mind, I set up a budget of what I was willing to spend as no extra storage furniture had come available at my school. I knew exactly what I was looking for as well- a large bookshelf.

School started and I started with no bookshelf. The empty corner of my room became a storage closet filled with plastic bins and laundry baskets, and it looked really tacky. No teacher wants an unorganized mess in their new room, but I decided it would just have to sit. I didn't want to spend the money to go and get what I needed to finish up my room. My budget had disappeared and I was having to accept it. I was so ecstatic about my new job that having a few storage issues was on the bottom of my worry list.

At the end of the first week, I brought a collapsible table from home that I could make work for my storage issues. I set it up and stacked my bins and baskets underneath adding my textbooks to the top of the table. I stepped back and looked at the corner again, and was pleased with the progress I was making. The added table and organization did look better than the storage bins and laundry baskets sitting on the floor heaped in a pile. It still wasn't what I wanted, but for now I accepted this solution and gave up the idea of purchasing what I needed. I made peace with my longing for a bookshelf.

My "need" for a bookshelf was heard by God. I never even prayed for it! Just kept thinking that my room would look so much better if I had one. I even went so far as to leave a space empty on the back wall of my classroom where one would fit. That space continued to sit empty the second and third weeks of school while I still felt the gnawing need for a bookshelf.

On Thursday morning of the third week, my phone rang as students were filtering into my room. My new principal called wanting to know if I could use a big bookshelf. Another teacher was getting rid of one and they had no place to store it. She wanted to know if I would want it. My response was an overzealous yes! She went on to say they would get it to me when they could. God was sending me a bookshelf. Exactly what I wanted, but I was too stubborn to ask for it.

Within a couple of hours, I heard a strange noise coming down the hallway. Wheels, like something heavy was being moved. My eyes teared up because my bookshelf was on the way. In my mind, I was thinking the particle board kind that you might buy at a big box store. When the custodians reached my room with that bookshelf and I laid eyes on it I wanted to jump up and down and shout joyful noises to the Lord! It was huge. Real wood too. Not an ounce of particle board on it! It was incredibly beautiful in my eyes and I was overjoyed with it. The space I had left open for one fit it to a tee, like I had measured for it exactly! Now my room could really be finished and I would feel unburdened.

In all honesty, I was so excited that I think I frightened the custodians some. Nothing says exciting like an English teacher with a new, empty bookshelf. When my students came in that afternoon, I had cleaned it and was ready to start putting my corner clutter away. My "stuff" now had a home! One student called out "What did you do today?" I could no longer contain my excitement. I squealed in delight, "I got a new bookshelf!" Let's just say that ninth graders get my humor! They died laughing at and with me. One girl got up out of her seat to go and inspect it. She turned to the class and said, "If anyone puts a scratch on Tommy, they will have to deal with me!" Another student questioned her, "Tommy?"

"His name is Tommy."

I said with amazement, "You named the bookshelf, Tommy?"

"Yes," she replied, "we should call him that."

Two things I learned right then, I was made to teach ninth grade because my mind worked like this too, and God really does know our needs and sends us what He deems is for us exactly when we are ready to accept it.

On Friday afternoon, I stayed late loading "Tommy" with all of my "stuff." He stands tall and proud holding it all. I now can't wait to see this student's face on Monday when she walks in to see "Tommy" at work. I have never been so excited to receive an empty bookshelf, and have never wanted to fill one so badly. Thanks, God,

for sending me pecans in form of whatever I need whenever I need it.

#timingiseverything

#emptybookshelves

#pecanreport

"Tommy" the bookshelf!