My "Gilgal"

My doctor recently decided that I will never be able to teach in a public setting again because of my back injury. So, for the past week, I've been going through boxes and boxes of teaching materials, books, classroom decorations and lesson plans. We had a yard sale today and I sold over half of my teaching stuff! I hope to sell the rest tomorrow. It hasn't been easy going through everything and selling it because of all the time, energy, and money I've put into this stuff. Not to mention, being a Kindergarten teacher was my dream for years and years. 

When I was 16 years old I did an internship in a Kindergarten classroom. I absolutely loved it! I fell in love with teaching and wanted to be just like Ms. Swicegood. She had the most adorable classroom and did so many fun things with her students. I remember taking photos of things in her class and asking for similar things as Christmas presents every year until I graduated college. My mom had a lot fun helping me prepare for my Kindergarten class. 

Today, as soon as the yard sale began guess who showed up? Ms. Swicegood! It was so good to see her! As soon as I saw her my mind jumped to "Gilgal." I studied about "Gilgal" in the Believing God study by Beth Moore.  Gilgal was the place where God had the Israelites camp after crossing over the Jordan. Gilgal means "circle." It was a place where God brought them full circle and started a new life cycle, breaking the old one. Gilgal was a place of new beginning (Joshua 5).

All through High School, College, and during my time as a teacher, I wanted to be just like Ms. Swicegood. I wanted a classroom just like hers. I wanted be a fun teacher, just like her. I wanted to have a classroom full of awesome teaching supplies, just like her. Today, Ms. Swicegood was buying teaching materials from ME. Can we say "GILGAL?"  It was so awesome to realize that God has brought me full circle. 

Here I am on the other side of my dream. God allowed me to fulfill my dream of teaching Kindergarten and becoming "just like Ms. Swicegood." He allowed me to truly enjoy that dream for for five years and then, He gave me a new dream. Selling all of my teaching materials, seeing Ms. Swicegood again, and allowing her to take some of my teaching supplies home with her was the breaking of my old "life cycle" and the place of new beginning. 

Today I am thankful for my "Gilgal." God has been so good to me. He has brought me full circle and allowed me to be fully aware of His guidance. He has answered so many prayers and led me right where He wants me.  I am putting away my old teaching dream and beginning a new one as we start homeschooling Dylan in a few weeks. Thank You, Lord, for being so active in my life. Thank you for my "Gilgal."