A month or so ago I
decided to take an additional part time job as a school bus driver for Ocean
Springs. So far, in my short tenure, I have learned a couple of things.
1. Middle
School and High School students are not nearly as happy about Monday
mornings as I am.
2.Elementary
students have absolutely scary amounts of energy….. ALWAYS.
I had the opportunity to
replace a driver who was retiring after twenty or so years of service. Stepping
in to fill Mrs. Jewel’s driver’s seat has been quite the undertaking. She is
the only bus driver that my students have ever known, and in their eyes, the
best bus driver that has ever existed.
My first two weeks were
mostly about learning the route and getting know the students. I made my fair
share of mistakes, making wrong turns, missing stops, etc. I also had to set
some ground rules for some unruly students and assign seats. To say the least,
these things did not make me “awesome” to some of the students.
After a week or so, a
couple of my 5th & 6th graders were frustrated that I instituted these
rules so they started a chant in the back of the bus....”We want Mrs.
Jewel”...”We want Mrs. Jewel!” This was followed by some of the younger kiddos
chanting “No! We want Mr. Bill.”
It would be fair to say
that I was a little frustrated. I drove through the route, and a couple of stops
later I was letting students out and a little girl gave me a small note as she
was getting off. On the note was a sketch of me driving and her sitting in a
seat, with the caption “I ❤️ Bus Driver!”
It absolutely made my
day! The encouragement from that simple little note gave me what I needed to
have a much better week..
As Christians, we are
given plenty of encouragement in the Bible. My favorite is found in
Hebrews.
“So do not throw away
your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when
you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.”
Hebrews 10:35-36 NIV
While there are lots of
words of encouragement in the scripture, let us remember that we are to be the
hands and feet of Christ as well as the shoulder to lean on, the ears to hear
and the mouth that speaks encouragement to those who are struggling this
Christmas season.
“Therefore encourage one another
and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.”
1 Thessalonians 5:11 NIV
