I worked the day job only two mornings this past week. We had Monday off as an unused snow day, I worked Tuesday morning, left to attend a pastor's conference in Louisville, returned late Thursday night, worked Friday morning and then left school for a funeral.
Travis, a dear brother in Christ, had recommended this conference to me a few weeks ago. My concern was missing school time: I had just one last personal day I could take. On the other hand, I still had something like 16 sick days built up! I asked around school and folks told me that it was no big deal to take sick days as personal days - it happens all the time. Still, my conscience kept asking, "How can you LIE in order to attend a Christian event??" I hesitated until the last moment that I could register and then felt that - even with the conscience issue - it was something I was meant to be a part of. I just trusted that something would work out in a way that wouldn't compromise integrity.
As a side note, I am not one of those teachers who just asks a sub to plug in a random video to pass the time. It actually took many hours of work on my part to leave meaningful lesson plans for the sub and my students accomplished important work throughout the week even without me there.
Even so, it didn't seem RIGHT to claim a conference as sick days. So praise God for the head cold I got last weekend! I can honestly say that I could have -in good conscience - gladly taken every day off this past week from school to sleep in and recover. While at the conference, I had the chance to sleep in a bit and to grab a nap in the afternoons (when I would have normally been in class). And even though I was feeling pretty miserable physically, spiritually I was alert and being fed. I can't wait to share some of the things the Lord taught me through those three days.
The cold actually continued through Thursday and then dissipated. That meant that I could still claim Friday afternoon as a half personal day in order to go to the funeral of a young man from our former church in Indy. (It was the most memorable funeral I have ever attended. It was a real paradox: sad, hilarious, inspiring, embarrassing, and motivating.)
So what do you think? Am I on target in my interpretation of the week's events and the head cold? There was a time when I might have read the head cold as God's punishment towards me, but now it seems like Grace. He knows I NEEDED it.
In all honesty, the other great thing about following through with attending the conference is that I came back inspired in my current role as teacher and seeing my students in a different (and far better) light. Instead of counting my absence as sick days, maybe I could charge the cost of the conference to the school as "professional development"! And get reimbursement for mileage and hotel costs! ;-)
By the way, the conference organizers promised to put videos from the keynote speakers on their website and they have. The conference was called "Together for the Gospel" and the website is right here. Some of the most inspired preaching I've heard in a long time. (No offense meant, Pastor Chuck!!)
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