Every Sunday morning and Wednesday evening when I drop my kids off at church, they are greeted with smiles, high-fives and hugs from their teachers. I know that not only are they learning about the B-I-B-L-E and Jesus’ love for them, but they are also seeing a tangible manifestation of Christ’s love through the body of Christ.
Sometimes, when the week as been especially long, they give parents (esp. during those early years when you’ve been up all night with a screaming newborn or a clingy toddler) a chance to breathe and spend a few peaceful moments having your soul refreshed in sweet fellowship and being washed in the Word. They can also be the gentle touch our children need to remind them that God still loves them unconditionally even though mommy was super frustrated with them during the drive to church.
They partner alongside us as parents as we try to help our children walk along the way and train them up in the way they should go. They rejoice with us, pray for us and invest so much of themselves into the lives of our children.
And yet, week in and week out, many of these teachers, who spend hours upon hours preparing for and spending time with our children, don’t get so much as a thank you. Maybe the church has some kind of an appreciation banquet, but for the most part it’s a thankless job. Many of them are volunteers and spend money out of their own pockets to provide little prizes or gifts for our kids…just because! Most of them don’t expect anything in return, it’s a joy for them to serve and there is no place they’d rather be than to be covered in spit up, changing a dirty diaper or seeing the freshness of the Bible through the eyes of a child.
Their service does not go unnoticed. Or perhaps it does and by then it’s too late. Burn out has set in and no one is willing to take up the mantle and let the little children come. I hope I don’t miss an opportunity to let those investing in my kids’ spiritual lives know how much I appreciate them!
So earlier this week the kiddos and I made a little something to show their teachers how much we appreciate them. It’s not anything big, I’m not Oprah giving out new cars or anything, but it’s just something small to let them know that what they do does not go unnoticed and is making an eternal difference.
We got these cute little pots with seeds in it (thank you Target dollar spot), put them in a treat bag, tied a ribbon on it (found these cute “thank you” ones at a local craft store), and attached a tag that says, “Thank you for helping me to GROW in Christ”.
Is there someone that you’d like to thank for making an eternal difference in your child’s life? I’m giving away a free printable of these tags to everyone on my email list. If you’d like one, make sure you subscribe on my website. Don’t worry, I’m still new to blogging so I only send out emails maybe once a month…if that!