Something special happened in my classroom today and I have to share:
This afternoon, after lunch, I started to feel quite sick. I contemplated calling a sub for the rest of the day, but since it was 1:00 p.m., I decided to try to stick it out. I took some medicine and tried to put on a good face for the students. Even though I was planning to stay the rest of the school day, I knew I wouldn't be able to stay after school (like I had planned) to help a student get caught up on make-up work from last week.
I was conferencing with students on a writing assignment and called this child over to let him know we would reschedule our afternoon appointment. Another student (I'll call him Sam) overheard me tell the child that I wasn't feeling well and we would need to set another date.
All of a sudden, Sam called out, "Okay, everybody! Mrs. Bowman is not feeling well, so we need to stop and pray. Who's our prayer leader?" (The prayer leader sat across from Sam, looking kind of stunned). Sam continued, "Nevermind, let's just do Popcorn Prayers...if you feel like praying, just pop up and pray." So, he led the class by saying the first prayer and then almost all the students "popped" up and prayed for me aloud.
It was so precious and encouraging to hear their prayers. One student really touched my heart when he said, "Dear Lord, please help Mrs. Bowman to feel better. I pray that she would be here tomorrow and we wouldn't have to have a substitute because no one can substitute Mrs. Bowman." Aww! (My husband joked that the boy was just trying to earn points with me!) ;)
Then, another child called out, "Lord, I agree with that prayer--no one can take Mrs. Bowman's place. Help her to feel strong and get better soon."
The prayers continued popping up and then Sam ended with, "Lord, as we close our prayer time for Mrs. Bowman, I just want to say again that I hope you heal her and that she will not have any more pain. In Jesus' Name, Amen."
Talk about a tear-jerking moment! I thanked them for their prayers and praised God silently. The care and concern they showed for me was overwhelming. I was really surprised by Sam's boldness and initiative to get the prayers started. That was my favorite moment of the day. I'm so thankful I work in a place where I am free to pray with my students.
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