As The Sun Sets on Summer

For teachers in New Brunswick, today was the last day of summer vacation.  Monday morning we will all return to our schools for meetings and preparations for ten months of duty, lesson planning, marking, teaching and running extra-curricular activities.  A week later the students will also return and it will be as if we had never left.  Our days will have routine again, and the daylight hours will gradually get shorter and shorter.  I love the fall, the crisp air, the fun of shopping for school supplies, meeting a pile of new students and time with my colleagues!  Soon we’ll be going to the exhibition to eat dippy dogs (fresh made corn dogs), carmel corn, and cotton candy, and see the beautiful handiwork on exhibition and the animals in competition.  This is the sunset of summer.

I hope this doesn’t sound like I’m not looking forward to being back at work!  I am ready to go back. Today, at our final day of Vacation Bible School, our Bible story was the parable of the talents.  The servants who put their talents to work pleased God, while the servant who was afraid to lose the gift and buried it was a disappointment.  All those people whom God has gifted with the ability to teach will be back at it, putting the gift to use just as the students will be using their gifts to get their education and set the path for their lives.

I would like to beg your indulgence to add teachers, and students alike to your prayer list for the coming week.