When Our Homelife Interferes (Group/Introductory Lesson)

I loved being in the band during high school. Some of my best friends and memories centered around football games, competitions, and bus rides to those events. We played card games, sang ridiculously loud renditions of songs, and told stories for entertainment. Many parents came along on every trip, and they joined in the conversations and games. They were like second parents to most of us teenagers.

              One night, we were on our way back from an event. I don’t remember if we had a ball game or competition over there, but the drive took about an hour on the interstate. We were all huddled together, adults and kids, talking and laughing. The closer we got to our exit, the more noticeable a huge plume of smoke became. We all agreed it had to be a house fire. Several of the parents gained attention of the ones who wanted to participate, and we began praying for the family whose house was on fire.

              Everyone unloaded the bus and we went our separate ways. Once home, the phone rang. We were in shock. None of us who prayed that night expected to be praying for themselves, but that’s exactly what happened. One of the chaperones and her daughter came home to their home in flames and their husband and father didn’t make it out.

              No one is exempt from hard things. Even the Bible says, He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous (Matthew 5:45b, NIV). This family, a Christ-following family, was not exempt. While the rest of the world kept spinning, they were trying to deal with the death of a loved one and the loss of everything that was once their home. Bills still came. Responsibilities still loomed. And work and school didn’t wait. How do we continue doing the required tasks of life when our entire world collapses or becomes unsteady? And how do we keep the two worlds separated?

              At some point, if a teacher remains in the system long enough, they will face one of life’s hard circumstances, leaving them in a situation they never asked for. Marriages will have issues and some will end. Family members will become sick, and some may die. Addictions and jail time might hit your household. Abuse and other secrets don’t jump over teachers’ homes. Financial hardship and bankruptcy might sneak in too. How will we manage when the worst-case scenario shows up? And how can we keep that from disrupting our ability to teach?

              First, we lean hard on Christ. We pray, seek, read, and stay close to his heart. Second, we call on the help of others. These aren’t just any “others”, these are the ones who are committed and we can depend on. Hard times don’t need to be navigated alone. Next, if the home situation might demand us missing school days, we need to let our administrators know what’s going on. They don’t need to hear every little detail, but they need to know that we may be out for good reasons. And lastly, we must keep our personal problems out of the classroom. We can let our students know we have some outside factors influencing things, but they don’t need to know the details. They need us in our normal position to teach and lead well.

              This week, we will discuss several scenarios that might happen to teachers at home. We will also learn ways to walk through those issues with grace and determination while continuing to teach and lead our students well. For now, let’s look at some scriptures to help us through.

Scripture Reading:

Psalm 23 is one of those passages that brings comfort when nothing else will.

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul.             

He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.             

Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.              

Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Discussion

1.      What do the words of the 23^rd Psalm do to your heart?

2.      Discuss a time when your personal life overwhelmed you and bled over into your personal life. How were you able to keep them separate?

3.      Have you ever seen a teacher or other staff member who was unable to keep personal and work separated?  What happened?

4.      What role can God play in helping you through these difficult home seasons?

Homework

              Read Jesus’ famous words in Matthew 5. Write down the verses that would be important to you when you are going through a tough season.

Personal Reflection

              Think about your current classroom and work situation. Have you had to keep home and work separated?  If not, have you thought through what that would look like?