Twiddlers, Dreamers, and Silly Hearts (Devotion-Prayer for Preschool Teachers)

This devotion is dedicated to my fellow teachers.  Our jobs are harder than most people realize and more rewarding then we sometimes fully comprehend.

OK teachers, take a deep breath, the school year is winding down. We have been diligently working to ensure little Johnny can grip his pencil correctly; little Suzie can hold her scissors properly; we have done our best at getting little Bobby to sit quietly on the carpet; and we have worked with little Mary to concentrate during centers to learn her ABCS and 123s.  But every year, there is always that ONE child who is just like Dolly from Family Circus.  She marches to her own drummer, dances to her own tune, and wants to draw a flower when everyone else is practicing his or her letters.  With classrooms filled to capacity and multiple responsibilities, that ONE child seems to drain our energy and test our patience.   But recently I have been reminded by one of my favorite movie characters, Uncle Buck, that ONE child is in our classroom not for us to teach them how to be more like us, but to teach US how to be more like them.  You see, those Dollys in our classroom are the ones that have visions of God’s Heavenly realm and paint what they see, they take trips to Heaven and see angels, they talk to Jesus and have prophetic dreams, and God entrusts them to change the world for His kingdom sake.

Matthew 5:8 Blessed are the pure at heart for they will see God.

One day while Jesus was busy teaching the multitudes, children were brought to Him and they surrounded Him. The disciples wanted to keep Jesus on schedule without unnecessary distractions so they tried to remove the children, but what did Jesus say to them?

Luke 18:17 (MSG)

People brought babies to Jesus, hoping he might touch them. When the disciples saw it, they shooed them off. Jesus called them back. “Let these children alone. Don’t get between them and me. These children are the kingdom’s pride and joy. Mark this: Unless you accept God’s kingdom in the simplicity of a child, you’ll never get in.”

You see the Twiddlers, Dreamers, and Silly Hearts in our classroom are actually there to prevent us from becoming dried out, brain dead teachers.  They have the secret to seeing God and my prayer lately is that I may recapture my preschool eyes, ears, and heart.  In order for us to nurture these qualities in our preschoolers, God desires that we recapture them in ourselves through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Ephesians 4:23-24(NLT)

Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes.  Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.

TWIDDLERS

Twiddlers are those students who we describe in “academic” terms as those who can’t sit still.  They are the children that play, twirl and spin in complete abandon. The children who go right when the rest of the class is going left. What can we learn from these children? We can learn to praise our God without inhibitions so that we can fully experience the power of the Holy Spirit. How do you think God sees these children? Maybe like He saw King David when he returned the ark of God to the City of David leaping and dancing, praising God without shame and inhibition (2 Samuel 6:12-22 MSG). Even David’s wife was ashamed of him but David said, “In God’s presence I’ll dance all I want! He chose me over your father and the rest of our family and made me prince over God’s people, over Israel. Oh yes, I’ll dance to Gods glory – more recklessly even than this.  And as far as I’m concerned… I’ll gladly look like a fool”

I read a great article by Dr. Dale A. Robbins “The Power of Praise and Worship”  where he states:

 “The Bible says that God inhabits in the praises of His people (Psalms 22:3). In other words, God “dwells” in the atmosphere of His praise. This means that praise is not merely a reaction from coming into His presence - Praise is a vehicle of faith which brings us into the presence and power of God! Praise and worship is the “gate-pass” which allows us to enter the sacredness of His glory. The psalmist writes, “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name” (Psalms 100:4).” (http://www.victorious.org/praise.htm) 

I have recently embraced the joy of praising God in the Spirit, raising my hands in complete abandon, reaching up to Heaven so that I can feel God’s presence fully.  I was baptized in the Spirit in December and I felt God’s love tangibly for the first time.  It was the most amazing experience in my life.  Now my soul longs and craves for more of His presence and love.  I realize praising Jesus is my gateway into His presence.  So as a preschool teacher, my job when it comes to my “Twiddlers” is to see in them as potential Davids and to encourage and nurture that Holy Spirit gift of worship in their lives.    

Psalm 8:2(CEV)

With praises from children and from tiny infants, you have built a fortress.

It makes your enemies silent, and all who turn against you are left speechless.

DREAMERS

The Dreamers in our classroom are those children who stare at a blank piece of paper in front of them for 5 minutes while the other children have already moved on to the next project. We tend to think of them as being lazy or disobedient.  Our first impulse is to rush them through their work.  But wouldn’t it be cool to be able to see into their minds and know what they are daydreaming about?  One of my favorite artists, Akiane, has painted million dollar masterpieces of Jesus, angels, and Heaven.  She started drawing at age 4 and painting at age 6. Her website states that she had a “life-changing spiritual transformation” at age 4 that brought her entire family to God. (http://akiane.com/life)  Now that is awesome.

Recently, she was on the Katie Couric show and she described how at age 4 she started hearing God’s voice and having visions of Jesus and Heaven.  Because she was too young to describe it in words she began to draw and to paint her visions.  What an extraordinary gift from God that she has used to impact her family and the world for God’s Kingdom’s sake. So the next time you see your Dreamer staring at a blank piece of paper, give them some crayons and engage them in conversation. Ask them to draw what they are dreaming about. You may have the blessing of nurturing the next prophetic artist.

 

Acts 2:17 (NLT)

‘In the last days,’ God says, I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams.

SILLY HEARTS

Lastly, the best part about teaching preschool age children is that they are all Silly Hearts. Silly hearts are described as optimistic, positive, kind and soft-hearted.  They are still young enough that life has not hardened their hearts.  When God says that the pure in heart will see Him, He doesn’t mean that we have to work on being pure by our own actions.  Pure in heart means that we have put our trust in His son Jesus. When we do, God gives us a new, pure heart that is receptive to His love and because He loves us so completely we can’t help but love him in return. The bible says God is actively seeking Silly Hearts to strengthen them so that He can do a mighty work in and through their lives.

2 Chronicles 16:9 (NLT)

 The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. 

Recently, I heard a sermon about the Apostle John who called himself the apostle Jesus loved.  This always seemed arrogant to me until the Pastor explained that John was the only apostle that truly understood how much God loved him.  You see other apostles, like Peter, were constantly saying how much they loved Jesus but when times got tough they deserted Jesus because they were relying on their own strength.  John understood how much Jesus loved him so God strengthened his heart and gave him the courage to come back and stand by Jesus while He died on the cross.  God then blessed John giving him visions of the Heavenly realms.  He saw Jesus in His glorified state, and he received the Revelation of what is to come in the end times. 

That is why as teachers of preschoolers it is our job to nurture their Silly Hearts.   How do we do this? I think the only way we can do this is by having our own silly hearts softened and fully dedicated to God.  Not because we can quote the memory verse of the week but because we are filled with God’s love by the power of the Holy Spirit.  I have come to realize that you can’t really love God without the Spirit leading you.  You can intellectually know about Him, which I have tried to do, but loving Him completely has to be our Spirit connecting to His spirit. 

John 4:23-24 (MSG)

“It’s who you are and the way you live that count before God. Your worship must engage your spirit in the pursuit of truth. That’s the kind of people the Father is out looking for: those who are simply and honestly themselves before him in their worship. God is sheer being itself—Spirit. Those who worship him must do it out of their very being, their spirits, their true selves, in adoration.”

Romans 8:15-16 (MSG)

^15-16 This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life.  It’s adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike “What’s next, Papa?” God’s Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are. We know who he is, and we know who we are: Father and children. And we know we are going to get what’s coming to us—an unbelievable inheritance!

Last year, I had a really bad day.  The night before I could not sleep and I woke up feeling like I was having a panic attack.  I was full of irrational fear.  I tried to call a substitute but there was no one available.  I think God knew that I needed to go to work that day. Once I was surrounded by my preschoolers, the panic and fear began to diminish.  During recess, one of my favorite 4-year olds wanted to sit on my lap because she was cold but I’ll tell you something, God used her hug to warm my heart and comfort me.  Her pure love and joy was a balm for my soul.  These preschool children are a blessing to us from the Lord.

Close your eyes and put yourself in Jesus’ place for a moment that day when He was teaching the multitudes.  He was probably hungry, tired, fatigued.  Now picture the moment when he is being embraced and loved upon by Twiddlers, Dreamers and Silly Hearts.  How their genuine love and joy must have renewed his Spirit. No wonder he told the apostles to back off when they tried to take those precious children from His presence.  That is why God desires that we love him with pure, uninhibited, child-like faith and when we do He calls us the Kingdom’s pride and joy.  

So thank you precious Preschool Teachers for pouring your lives into God’s pride and joy.  He sees all your hard work, He records it in His book, and on that day when you stand before Him He will pull it out and say, “Well done, My child.  I entrusted my little Silly Hearts and Dreamers into your care and you did not let me down.  Here is your very own princess crown of righteousness for you to wear throughout eternity."

Love,

Yolanda