This wasn’t supposed to happen. How could I have been reduced to this? Sure, I’d stepped away from the workforce for a few years to be an at-home mom, and, sure, I wasn’t a 20-something straight out of college, but I was smart! I had skills! I had a degree!
I had applied for eleven jobs and had been rejected for all of them. Now, here I sat, getting ready to apply for another one, my last resort. I couldn’t be rejected as a substitute teacher, right?
Now that my kids were older, I knew God was prodding me to find part-time gainful employment, but surely He didn’t mean this.
Apparently, He did.
My first assignment was a half-day for a middle-school teacher assistant in special education. I was nervous because I had no idea what I was doing (I’m not a teacher), but it turned out not to be that hard. The lead teacher (who was amazing!) did most of the work. I basically sat and listened until she needed help passing out or collecting papers. I did get to escort the class to the gym (only got lost once) and stay with them during their P.E. class so the lead teacher could eat lunch.
The special education students took P.E. with the mainstream kids. I asked the P.E. teacher what I could do to help, and he said I could “walk with Chris.” I complied like I understood and then went to find Chris, proud of myself for remembering which student he was. Chris had some physical limitations, but he also had a permanent smile that would melt the hardest heart. The P.E. teacher yelled, “Warm-up!” and all middle-schoolers got up and started walking laps around the gym. I walked with Chris.
At the end of the day, the lead teacher thanked me profusely for all my help. I told her that I didn’t feel like I’d done much. She looked at me and said, “You were kind to them.”
Philippians 2:3-4 says, “ Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”
I don’t like to think of myself as conceited, but it wasn’t until I learned to stop thinking of subbing as beneath me that I started to see God’s purpose in it. Jesus could have given Himself any job title He wanted in His earthly life, but He chose to humble Himself and serve others in obedience to His Father. I began to understand that the only real job description any of us has is to humbly serve.
I’ve been subbing for four years now. While I still wouldn’t call it my dream job, I do find joy and fulfillment in helping wherever I’m needed. I don’t need an “important” or “impressive” job title to achieve God’s purpose for my life. God accomplishes His purpose through us whenever we share His love. That’s the dream job.
About the Guest Author:
Suzanne Felton is a published author of devotionals in periodicals for adults and children. She is a wife, mother of two teenage boys, and middle-school substitute teacher.
