Not A Professional

And yet another teacher of first graders story:

One little girl with her new school tennis shoes was having trouble keeping the laces tied. We, as teachers, try to help them become problem solvers and I encouraged her several times during the day to try it herself or find a friend. At the end of the school day she came to me with shoe laces trailing and said, “Ms. A. will you please tie my shoes?” I asked her if she knew how to tie shoes. To which she replied, “Yes, but I’m not a professional.”

It made me think of Philippians 3:12-14. Even Paul, the great apostle and devout follower of Christ Jesus, had to admit that he wasn’t a professional at this being a Christian.

Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I strive to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me His own. I do not consider that I have made it my own. (He admitted that he wasn’t a professional yet.) But this one thing I do: forgetting what happened in my past and straining forward to what lies ahead, I pursue earnestly to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.

I’m not perfect in this living the Christian life either. You may see me regularly with my spiritual shoelaces dragging. But I’m making a habit of pursuing the life that God wants me to have. If the laces of my life come untied and trip me up a bit I tie them, get back on track with God, and keep at it.

We don’t have to be professional Christians. We just have to be student Christians; always learning, always pursuing, and always reaching for our Jesus. He’s the professional. He will help us in this life to reach the heavenly goal.

I'm not a professional.

But one day I’ll be able to keep these life shoelaces tied!