Know that you are loved.
If you stop reading right now or zone out and don't get any other point, I want you to know that, each and every one of you is loved.
I'm 24, and I'm sure some of you think that is really old, but it's not...I'm basically still a child, but I am far enough removed from High School that I can reflect on it more objectively than in past years. I think this is something a lot of you need to hear.
I can't speak for all of your teachers and coaches, there's always an exception, but I can speak for my Mom and many other educators.They are in your lives for a reason. They love you and they care about you.
That is probably why they bug you so much. The teachers that push you the hardest, that don't let you get away with being lazy, the ones that call your parents when your acting out, the coaches that make you run that extra sprint when your grades are slipping, these are the people that love you. They love teaching, coaching, mentoring, and molding. They are passionate about you and your future. Sometimes the most loving thing seems mean and harsh, but it is molding you into a more disciplined person.
Some are doing this because they simply have a passion for young people. Others are there for a much deeper, more important reason. They are in the classroom because God has called them to be there. God has called them to a ministry of impacting students, of spreading His love in the classroom, of being a light in a place that can often be the darkest corner of the world.
I know that some of you have incredibly hard lives. High School is a hard and awkward time for most people. Many of you are dealing with more than just school and hormones. Some of you have lost one or both of your parents. Some still have your parents physically, but emotionally they might as well not be there. For some your parents are present, but they are only a negative, abusive presence in your life. Some of you are battling emotional and/or mental hardships that you might not be able to explain to others. Others of you feel rejected by your peers. Some of you are hiding homelessness, addictions, abuse, or other struggles.
Most of you feel alone.
No matter how alone and different you feel, no matter how much guilt, shame, anger, or isolation you feel, you are loved. You are being prayed over daily.
...I feel like I should explain what prompted this letter.
My Mom is a teacher. She loves her students. Even when they hate her, and she doesn't feel like she's making much of a difference, she shows up and she loves them to the best of her ability. She prays for them, for their education, but also for their lives - their hearts.
Someone egged my mom's classroom door. My first reaction was love for my Mom and anger at the student that hurt her. However a friend reminded me to check where my heart was, and to love the student. So I prayed. I prayed that my Mom would feel comforted and strengthened, and that she wouldn't be discouraged. And then I prayed for the student, that their eyes would be opened to the love God has for them. I prayed they would feel Him pursing them with love.
Then one of my other friends, a teacher's aid, had a rough encounter with a student and I was again reminded that teenagers are hurt, and often feel unloved. They live in a world where they aren't "cute kids" any more, but aren't yet adults either.
Know that you are loved.
You're in a period of your life that is awkward and hard, and you may often feel alone. You may feel like your teachers are just there to make life more boring and to keep you from having fun with your friends, but they're not. They are there to spur you on. To challenge you to do your very best.
They are there to love you.
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