just a pinky toe

       I've been back in Honduras now for a week and a half officially. It some ways, I feel like I've been back forever. Obviously, there are a few things to adjust to, but it has been a much easier transition for me than last year. As I've been preparing my classroom, I've felt relaxed and filled with joy and hope for the year to come! I could tell you about so many things! I met some of my students today at our open house. I've resettled into my house with some new housemates. I've made new friends and caught up with now old friends. It's great. Since school hasn't exactly started yet I can't tell you the hilarious things my new students say everyday, I suppose I'll just ramble for a bit. I informed you that I was working on my ability to be thankful for things, so here are just a few of the things I've been thankful for:
    1. a job at a great school that really cares about the students and their spiritual lives
    2. A fifth grade team that wants to work together and wants to eat lunch together during work days.
    3. Zucchinis and other vegetables that can be purchased at a cheap price.
    4. Finding money in my pocket one day
    5. Children who are so loving and kiss me on the cheek
    6. Game Nights
    7. Mario Kart
    8. Having second chances

Another random story. WARNING: If you do not enjoy random spiritual parallels that come to my mind from everyday events, read no farther.
The other day I was putting things up in my classroom and I decided that it would be easier to climb and move about without my heels on. So I took off my shoes. After this, I was moving quickly across the room and stubbed my toe on a chair. This was not an ordinary toe stubbing, it was definitely one of the worst I have felt. My poor little pinky toe since then has swollen up and turned purple. (As a side note, it could be broken I suppose, however, it has been getting better. It hurts less and the swelling has gone down.) Now, I thought to myself: It's just my tiny little pinky toe. It doesn't do much anyways. However, when it came time to walk, or put on any type of tight fitting shoes or heels (which pretty much covers all the shoes I'm allowed to wear to school) it got in the way and caused a lot of pain.

What came to me is the way even something small can effect the whole body. This is like sin in our lives. Take worry for example. I might begin to worry about something very small, like what to do about a particular student. But this one worry can become a constant source of pain that doesn't allow me to carry on in the way I should. One  tiny injury that we insist is really not that bad can keep us from walking. An area of sin in our lives that doesn't seem that bad, can keep us from being able to truly walk the path that God has set out for us. Not that God will neglect us, but our journey could be so much more pleasant. Perhaps this makes no sense to you, but it did to me and I thought that I would share.