Jesus

Part of being a teacher, is the innocent humor that children bring into my life. I am responsible for covering seven lunch duties a week. They had me covering ten, but I refused... that would be equivalent to me spending 182 hours of my life with 300 screaming children this year. I shudder just thinking about it. Okay, back to Jesus.

I overheard some third graders talking about Jesus at the lunch table. Separation of church and state... that is just the tip of the iceberg, which caused me to tell the students that we could not talk about Jesus at the lunch table - especially since there was a biblethumper sitting at the table, and I had a religious run-in with her mother a few years back.

I began to walk away, and then curiosity got the best of me. What kind of conversation were a bunch of third graders having about Jesus anyway. I grabbed a seat and hunkered down. I started off by asking who had started the Jesus conversaion. All fingers pointed at a male student. I inquired whether or not the others were telling the truth. He nodded yes. Okay, we were making progress. I then proceeded to ask the student what he had said about Jesus - my curiosity had been piqued and it had gotten the best of me. I didn't really expect what followed.

"Jesus is a new kid in our class this year. See him down there at the end of the table?", he began. I turned my attention down to the far end of the lunch table. Yes, I saw Jesus. He was laughing and having fun just like the other fourth graders sitting at the table. "Yes, I see him. Go on" I replied. "Well, you know how Jesus died, right? Well, that Jesus down there... he's, he's reviving himself!" I looked at Jesus and then at the boy. I threw my head back and laughed from the pit of my belly.

Ahhhhhhhh... to be a child again. To think like a child and to just be whoever you are. That is beautiful in and of itself. I love my job. I am fortunate that I have a job which I truly love.