Musing 6/24/2020 God Loves You and So Do I

A good friend and respected colleague of mine, Dr. Patricia Massengale, recently asked me to do a presentation for a graduate class she was teaching for the college where she works as an adjunct Professor. Though she is retiring from teaching public school (where I had the privilege of working with her for 6 years), she will continue to bless the field education as she now moves on in her life to become a full professor in the Department of Education.. I was honored to be asked to teach this class for her, and I hope it was helpful for her students who are all teachers. After my presentation we had a great discussion. As part of this discussion I wanted them to know how important I felt that their job was as classroom teachers. I made the point that the state or school district or local school can have plans and priorities and mission statements, but what’s most important is what happens when they close the classroom door. I then suggested that perhaps they needed a mission statement for their classroom. I then shocked a few of them by telling them that it should have very little—or even nothing—to do with the Department of Education’s Georgia Standards of Excellence but instead should be almost all about loving and respecting all children.

Anyway, that experience got me to thinking about what my mission statement is for my most important job—that of being a parent. I began thinking about what I hoped they had been taught and what I hoped they would continue learning from me no matter how old they are.

When I finished writing it I discovered that it was what my parents had taught me AND that it also applied to my work as a spouse, a pastor, a school administrator, a family member, a friend, and a lot, lot more. So I decided to share it. If I had any artistic ability, I would add pictures and turn it into a book for kids (of all ages.)

God Loves You and So Do I

Some days will be good some days will be bad Sometimes you are happy Sometimes you are sad Remember it matters not If you’re smiling or you cry Just know that God loves you and I promise so do I Friends are usually kind But sometimes they are not Some days you’ll join with them in laughter But some days friends may hurt you a lot But whether they bring you joy or hurt you with a lie Know that God loves you and I promise so do I

Someday you will enjoy both the sunrise and the sunset as well And the sun will shine upon you and all will seem well But other days the storms will rage And you' II feel as if you you've lost your way But whether the day is bright or there are thunder clouds over the sky The good news is God always loves you and I promise so do I

Life isn't always easy sometimes you lose—no matter how hard you try And some days will be lonely and life will go awry And in the pain and anguish you’ll scream in the night And when the heavens are silent, you may want to give up the fight It’s then you need to remember As you wipe that tear from your eye God loves you always and I promise so do I

This life is wonderful So much beauty to see I pray you find joy and love and a hope that sets your soul free But this life is hard If I said otherwise it would be a lie

But come what may Know from your birth even beyond the grave God loves you and so do I

Clay Gunter 6/24/2020