The year was 1973, and I was dealing with a severe allergy attack. As I lay sleeping, a message came to me that would change the course of my life. God said very clearly, " I want you to become a teacher."
While that might not seem life changing to many, it certainly was for me. I was approaching my thirtieth birthday, I had a husband and three daughters. How could I possibly follow this path? Faith that God would provide was my only answer.
That fall I entered community college. Amazingly every thing fell into place. I had always loved school and the challenge of learning new things. In the spring of '75, I completed my associate degree with high honors. In the fall I moved on to the university with a double major in English and speech. I carried a full load of classes while fulfilling my role of wife, mother and bookkeeper in our family business. In April of 1977, I was hired by our local school district to begin teaching in the fall. This was even before I had completed my degree in May of that year.
For the next twenty-eight years, I taught English, Spanish, speech, theatre arts and speech communication in four different school districts. I never lost my love for teaching or for the students who were in my charge. While many of them tried my patience on a daily basis, I always found something good in each of them. My greatest desire was to encourage their own abilities while instilling a love for learning.
I am proud to say that several of them chose to become teachers because of the example I set for them. I do not take credit for my success, but give all the glory to God for His goodness and leadership.
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