Engage

When I teach, there are times when a concept just doesn't click in a student's mind. They often become frustrated at this point, which is understandable. It is very frustrating when a concept is just beyond reach, when all of the pieces of a puzzle are in front of you but you just can't figure out how to put the pieces together. It is even more frustrating when it is something you know you should know, you know you should be able to understand, but it's just not working.

It is at this point that a student has a choice to make. They can keep working at understanding a concept, maybe attempting to fit the puzzle pieces together in different ways or spending extra time on the problem, or they can give up. I feel like many students have given up as early as kindergarten that that is why, when they get to me in middle school and high school, they are so far behind.

Of course, if you don't give up, that's where I, the teacher, can come in and help you and encourage you to get the concept. I might try presenting the concept in a different way or giving you extension activities to help you practice the concept. Of course, if I do these things and you do not engage in them, you will never understand the concept I am presenting to you because, even though you seem to be trying, you've really given up on the inside.

I think that the Kingdom walk is often like this. We try to remember a concept--a Truth, a Word--that Yahweh spoke to us before time but it just doesn't click in our minds. Often that is because it is so contrary to everything we've ever experienced before and everything we've seen out there in the world. It's like we have to unlearn the false concepts before we can even begin to assimilate Yahweh's Truth.

I get frustrated sometimes because I know I should know this! Sometimes I thought I had it, only to have a more advanced problem presented to me and I feel like I'm starting all over again with this concept. Like my students, I have a choice. Do I engage and allow Yahweh to teach me with extension activities and new presentations of the Word or do I give up, walk away, and decide that there really wasn't any truth to this to begin with?

Frustration is not a good reason to walk away, especially when you know that Yahweh is a faithful and capable teacher and He is able to present His truths in a way that you will be able to understand it. I am a firm believer that anyone can learn anything if they put forth the time and effort to doing so. Yes, in public school situations, we don't have an infinite amount of time to devote to one concept for one student in a class of 25 when we have so much to cover before the school year ends. However, Yahweh is the master of time! He is eternal and He literally has all the time in the world to teach you something if you are willing to put forth the effort.

If you keep going, you will get it. In fact, the more you engage, the faster you will get it. Sometimes, we just have to remember Whose we are and that He has already put everything in place for us to have what we need.