mepastormike

Last week I went to teach about character at an area middle school. I was not completely ready to teach the material to a younger crowd. The material was slightly different than what I have the opportunity to share at the high school level... But the thing that got me the most was trying to speak to the different age group. I didn't think it would be that difficult to do...
After the presentation I was not feeling particularly good about it... I got through it, but was not confident in the message I relayed on to these kids... not sure they had gotten anything out of it. Today, however, I received a real blessing. I returned to that same middle school to teach the same material to different students. I walked in almost late and could not find the room to go to. I met one of the teachers that was in the room last week and they told me of the wonderful job we had done (I always teach with a partner) in presenting to the class. Then one of the kids from last weeks class saw me and thanked me for teaching last week. Afterward, as we were walking out of the building, another student saw me and said I was "cool"... not bad for an old fart, huh (did I just type that out loud?).
I've come to realize that sometimes an honest effort goes a long way... it even helped to smooth out the roughness of the effort I had put forth. Being genuine in what I was trying to say, and operating out of the right motives really showed through... either that or the teacher and kids were just unusually polite and nice (for the sake of my ego, I'll go with doing the right thing for the right reason).
In the book of John (in the Bible), chapter 17 we read of Jesus' prayer to God the Father. In this prayer Jesus basically prays for protection that brings victory, unity that brings glory, and awareness that brings love. He prayed for His disciples and for everyone that would hear and believe in the message of the Gospel Truth. Jesus was honest in all He did; He was genuine and His motives were pure; and the way He loved revealed the glory of God. Elsewhere in Scripture it is stated that "if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have." I recall hearing that God is interested in our availability, not our ability.
May we bring the offering before God that He desires more than anything else... ourselves!