Childhood Game Grown-up Style

I remember sitting in a circle and one person starting a "secret" around the circle. From each person to the next, the phrase might change. In fact, there were times when people changed the secret intentionally and other times it just happened in translation.  Oh how we laughed when we found out what the phrase became. I mean really, wasn't the game better when it ended so far fetched from the beginning?!? 

As adults, we play this game daily! I find myself wrapped up in it sometimes. See the problem is, it's not as funny now, whether it's accurate or far fetched!  This week, my heart has been broken and convicted of how I struggle with breaking others down rather than building them up, especially after I wrote yesterday's blog and really began thinking about encouraging others. 

For teachers, this time of year is filled with unknown placements for next year...especially when your boss emails and asks everyone for their top three choices for next year!!  Talk about putting the building in a tizzy and starting the biggest game of telephone!! Everyone wants to be in the know, everyone wants to see the future and have it planned out! After a few unfortunate events this week, I became aware of my personal weakness and temptation. I feel as though it is necessary to share that sometimes, I fail at encouraging all my coworkers and building them up! I wrote yesterday's blog, then spent night and today realizing I have not been the encourager I talked about in yesterday's blog.  I was convicted and God brought to my attention a couple of verses: "A perverse person stirs up conflict, and a gossip separates close friends. (Proverbs 16:28 NIV)" and "Without wood a fire goes out; without a gossip a quarrel dies down. (Proverbs 26:20 NIV)" How true are both of these verses? If I am going to publically speak about doing something, I also need to live it out. If I am to be an ambassador of Christ in my building, it is vital that I control my tongue. 

A part of encouraging one another is to find positive uplifting things! Let's join together as a community of teachers, and as the Family of God to encourage and build one another up. A friend shared this with me this morning, "but we all just need to shut it up the minute it starts! And hopefully they will see it won't work!"  How truthful, when we add to it or listen we only fuel the fire. I'm sorry to anyone I've contributed to rather than stopping. If we are to persevere and make it through the last few weeks, we really do need one another! I'm going to work on it, will join with me?