Since the pandemic, I have been more involved in teaching online classes, which has allowed me to teach students from around the nation. Recently, while teaching an online class, I had a great learning assistant who was a recent graduate.
Although I never met my assistant in person, we began to form a collegial bond through the process of teaching the online class. Our conversation began with discussions about how to improve the class, and progressed to include more information about our lives, such as what we did over the weekend.
During a one-on-one conversation, however, the dialogue moved to discussing our professional goals. At this point, I felt more like a coach or a father in giving encouragement and perspective. Making it clear that I was sharing with her on a personal level, not as my learning assistant, I stated that “I don’t know where you are spiritually, or if you believe in God; but if you do, I encourage you to pray about your next steps in life.”
She stated that she did believe in God and was very appreciative of my bringing up seeking God for the next steps. I was then led to begin sharing my professional career testimony of how God had directed, provided, and guided me as I trusted Him.
This was a big step of faith and obedience for me.
I then began asking myself, “Should I have said this?” “Could I lose my job?” “Will this person report me?” “Could this be the beginning of a reprimand process or legal battle?” along with other thoughts.
However, by following God’s prompting, more discussions took place throughout that semester. By reminding the student of God’s love and encouraging her to seek God’s direction, I was using God’s Word and heart to speak life into my assistant. Thankfully, it was all well received.
This experience was a catalyst for my faith and relationship with God. It was also God’s answer to my prayer that He use me to bless students in my class.
Initially, I had been thinking of those that I was teaching rather than someone who was assisting me with the class. I now want to be open to blessing anyone associated with a teaching assignment to which God has called me.
Given that this is a very large secular university rather than a Christian university and that I had never met any of my students face-to-face, God’s grace, sovereignty, and purpose became even more real to me.
Even though the outcome of the situation was initially uncertain, following God’s prompting increased my faith, grew my relationship of trusting Him, and increased my joy in being used in His plan to have us plant and water, while God brings the increase in drawing others unto Himself.
