Tessa checked the clock again. Just five minutes until her students would arrive. Sure, it was only for the second half of the year while Mrs. Hartman was on maternity leave, but that meant from now until June, this was her very own classroom. She sent up a quick prayer.

“God, please use me in the lives of these students. Please help me show them Your love, teach them, and make a difference in their lives.”

She’d reviewed all her notes from student teaching, studied the class rosters against the yearbook pictures, prepared detailed lesson plans, and prayed. There was nothing more to do than to start teaching. The bell rang, and she stood at attention. A moment later, students streamed in. Tessa memorized each face, mentally comparing it to the yearbook pictures, and soon had a name for each student.

As the next bell rang, the students quieted. Tessa cleared her throat. “Good morning, class. My name is Miss Carson. I’ll be your teacher for the rest of the year while Mrs. Hartman spends time with her new baby. Now, who can tell me the last thing you studied before the break?” She scanned the room. A few students raised their hands. She turned to a bright-eyed girl in the front row. “Yes, Sarah?”

Sarah smiled. “We’re on page 143.”

“Excellent.”

As the week progressed, Tessa quickly learned which students were prone to volunteer, which did and did not do their homework, and which liked to whisper when her back was turned. But by Friday, Elsie, a girl in the center of the back row, still hadn’t said a word. Next week, that would change. Tessa had a plan. So far, the only thing she’d been able to determine about Elsie was that she wore a backpack with kittens on it, and each day had a different animal on her shirt. And that, with God’s help, was enough information.

Monday morning, with special permission from the principal, Tessa now had an actual class pet.

“Good morning, class. Today I have something special to share with you.” She pulled the cover off the cage on her desk to reveal a fluffy brown and white Guinea pig. The students murmured and clapped their hands. Even Elsie’s eyes widened.

“What’s his name?” Tommy asked.

“I don’t know yet. He’s going to be our class pet, so I hoped you could name him for me.”

“Is he going to live here in the classroom?” Billy asked.

“He is. And I’ll need you students to take care of him. Each week, one person will be in charge of him.”

Hands went up all over the room. “Me first, me first!”

Tessa walked to the back of the class and stood before Elsie’s desk. “Elsie? You look like the kind of girl who knows how to take care of animals. Would you like to be the volunteer for this first week? As our first volunteer, you’ll be in charge of naming him.”

Elsie’s eyes widened, but a touch of a smile lifted the corners of her lips. Tessa held out her hand and Elsie took it as Tessa led her to the front of the classroom, where she lifted the small animal from his cage and placed him in Elsie’s waiting arms.

Tessa bent to Elsie’s level and whispered. “What do you think we should name him?”

Elsie’s small forehead wrinkled as she studied the creature, but a moment later, her eyes brightened. She whispered back to Tessa. “Nibbles.”

Tessa’s heart soared. It was only one word, but it was a start. “What a perfect name.”

The sparkle in Elsie’s eyes told Tessa this was the right decision. For the rest of the week, Elsie faithfully fed Nibbles each day, filled his water bottle, and on Friday morning, cleaned out his cage. Tessa had planned to take Nibbles home for the weekends, but inspiration struck. After a call placed to Elsie’s mother at lunchtime, it was all set. Elsie would take Nibbles home for the weekend.

At the end of the day, before the busses were called, Tessa called Elsie up to her desk.

“You’ve done such an excellent job taking care of Nibbles all week. I’ve spoken with your mother, and she’s agreed to allow you to take Nibbles home for the weekend.”

Elsie’s eyes grew wide as saucers and she threw her arms around Tessa’s waist. “Thank you so much, Miss Carson. I promise to take good care of him.”

Tessa patted Elsie’s head and swallowed against the lump forming in her throat. “I know you will, Elsie. That’s why I chose you.”

Monday morning, it was time to pick a new caretaker for Nibbles. How would Elsie handle losing the responsibility? This was the only part of the plan that worried Tessa. But she’d prayed, and God had given her the idea, so she had to trust Him. She scanned the classroom and settled on Kira. Kira had a kind heart, but wasn’t very bright. She called both Elsie and Kira to her desk.

“Girls, it’s time to change the responsibility for Nibbles. Kira? Would you like to take care of him this week?”

Kira beamed and jumped up and down. “Oh, yes.” A moment later, her face fell. “But I don’t know how.”

“Oh, don’t worry. I can teach you everything you need to know.” Elsie took Kira’s arm and led her to Nibbles’ cage, where she proceeded to show Kira everything there was to know about the animal.

By the end of the week, Tessa was on the phone again with Elsie’s mother, but this time it was Elsie’s mother who had made the call.

“I’m not sure what you did, but the change in my daughter has been miraculous. She’s always been painfully shy, but for the first time in her life, she’s asked me if she could have a friend over after school. Her new friend Kira will be joining us tomorrow afternoon. Thank you for taking notice of my daughter.”

 

Isaiah 43:1

I have called you by name; you are mine.

God,

Thank You for seeing us and loving us just as we are. We don’t have to be the smartest or the boldest for You to use us. You see our special gifts and long for us to use them. Thank You for the people who have the gift of seeing others the way You see them. Please help us to be more like them and see Your gifts in others. Thank You for loving the quiet, the shy, the unlovely. We are Your children, no matter our personalities, and for that we are very grateful. And thank You, Lord, for teachers who help bring out our gifts. In Jesus’ name, Amen.