It was in the midst of the most glorious days of Bible club at my public elementary school that God began to give me that “heavenly nudge”. Something was about to change, and I shouldn’t fight it.

It all began one day in the car. After leaving my class in the hands of a capable supply teacher for the afternoon, I found myself driving towards the board office to attend a math seminar. I wasn’t alone in the car. I was transporting one of my colleagues to the same seminar; and I was listening as she began telling me that the school board French Consultant, a mutual friend of ours, would be going out on maternity leave soon.

It wasn’t overly interesting to me, but I stored the information away, and I began to wonder who the school board would hire to replace her for the year she would be off. Suddenly, as I was driving down the road, I received a little “vision”. I saw myself sitting in an office behind a desk. I had never seen this office before, but in the “vision” I was shown the office in great detail.

A few minutes later, we arrived at the school board office and went to our seminar. I couldn’t shake that little “vision”, however. The fact that it had come just as my co-teacher was telling me about the upcoming vacancy for French Consultant made me wonder if I should consider the post; but just as quickly I dismissed the idea completely. I couldn’t leave the classroom. I would miss teaching too much! And what about the Bible club? How could it survive without me? No, it was definitely out of the question…

After the seminar, my co-teacher and I decided to drop in on our mutual friend, the French Consultant, just to say “hi”. Imagine my astonishment to walk through the doorway and to see — the exact same office I had been shown in the car! Everything was the same, down to the minutest detail, except for one thing: My friend, now big with child, was the one sitting behind the desk instead of me!

What was God up to?

That mystery was soon resolved. The French Consultant then asked me to consider becoming the acting French Consultant while she was away on leave!

My immediate reaction was the same as before: Absolutely not! I couldn’t and wouldn’t leave the classroom, nor would I consider leaving the Bible club.

But wait. Why would God have gone to the trouble to show me that office down to the tiniest detail, and then complete the picture by putting me behind the desk instead of my friend?

It was definitely food for thought, and because of that little “vision”, I agreed to consider the idea.

You have probably already guessed the rest of the story. I recognized God’s hand of guidance on my life. I did apply for the position, and I was chosen.

It was amazing to me to think that had God not shown me that little “vision”, I wouldn’t have considered the post. Had I not considered the post, however, I would have been closing the door on what God was preparing to do in my life and in that school board…  

What is God pushing you to do? Seek His will and don’t fight against it. Instead, may your prayer be the same as David’s: “But I trust in you, Lord; I say, ‘You are my God.'” (Psalm 31:14 NIV)
Remember: God will not ask you to do anything that He will not equip you to do. Open your heart to His guidance, and then sit back and prepare for the thrill of your life!

In His love,
Rob Chaffart


(To view the entire “Lessons From the Classroom” devotional series, please click here.)