Last Period Friday – 10RE - ‘Tears from God’ before Semi-Retirement
What a way to retire!
My last full-time class in June 2016 blew me away in so many ways! This lesson was a full 45 minutes experience of ‘tears from God’ for quite a few people. God was truly present in the room.
The initial plan to pray, speak about subject choices and a couple of financial saving tips before having free classroom time - didn’t get beyond the prayer!
Just after praying the intentions offered for the day, I was about to ask everyone to say our last ‘Our Father’ prayer together as a group – and then silence. As my tears started to flow, I couldn’t begin the prayer aloud. Head bowed, I tried so hard. The students remained absolutely quiet and still. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t say anything!
Then I looked up and saw one student, looking straight at me, her eyes welled with tears, and there was a mystical sense that everyone knew who [God] was truly in the room with us! A young male student then initiated the leadership of the Our Father, and all the students said a most remarkable rendition, with me remaining silent.
As it was completed, one of the students quietly said, “Tears from God.”
The remainder of the lesson was one of the students wanting to know so much more about the place of the ‘tears from God’ in my life, and in my recent book writing, and what the next book would be about and how it would eventuate with the help of God, etc. etc. etc.
…
I have never had a group of 15-year-olds as one with a religious discussion. So empathetic and real. So wanting to share their thoughts and know more. So supportive of their teacher’s situation.
As the discussion came to a natural close after 45 minutes, the bell rang (as if on cue). Genuine thanks and final farewells followed. One young lady, in a moment of tears from God before leaving, explained how she understood exactly where I was coming from and what was happening to both of us at that moment.
I thanked her deeply and let her know that there couldn’t have been a better, more complete ending to my full-time teaching career.
A couple of interesting points were discussed overall. A young man near the end of the class asked, “What is the highlight of your time at Aquinas?” He almost blew me away, as I had the awesome realisation that I was living it at that very moment. Couldn’t think of another on this scale! So happily said so. He also suggested that the next book is released on the 40th day of next year. We had just been discussing the significance of the number 40 in scripture, especially Moses’ 40 years in the desert and Jesus 40 days in the desert. This linked with how my life this year and next has two major 40th events, i.e., 40 years of teaching this year and 40 years of marriage next year.
Copyright text and image © Great Developments Publishers, 2018-9
Draft Extract from ‘Love is the Meaning of Life: God's Love’ by Bryan Foster, mid-late 2019. p. 217-219
Will be available at all good internet bookstores.
Book details at https://www.godtodayseries.com/ Author details at https://www.bryanfosterauthor.com/ Join the Facebook discussion athttps://www.facebook.com/groups/389602698051426/