Subbing for LaRissa

I spent the last two days substitute teaching for my wife, LaRissa. Subbing facilitates church planting in two ways. One, it helps supplement our income so that the needs of my family do not become a burden on the church plant. Very important. I would say, if you as a church planter, are not willing to consider the possibility of serving bivocationally to further the resources of the plant, you need to take a long, hard look at the call to plant.

Second, subbing gets me connected with kids, their parents, teachers, and administrators at the schools to give me one more connection point in the community. Subbing has given me the opportunity to have at least some beginning conversations with people about the plant.

Okay, so that's the reason for subbing. But what I really want to say is how much I have enjoyed subbing. Not at all what I expected. I thought I would be able to get through it and do a pretty good job at it, but really had no anticipation of enjoying it. But I am loving it. Okay, I said it.

LaRissa's class has been a joy over the last day and a half. Yeah, they can be rowdy. And, yeah, there are a couple of little boys who are real stinkers. But they are really a sweet class, and I just love seeing their little faces light up when you do something as simple as give them a "knuckle bump" for a job well done. (I've got to say, my wife is a phenomenal teacher, because her class was so easy to handle.) I have a real heart for the little boys who are stinkers. They want so badly to please you. You can just see that there is a battle going on inside of them. They want to please, but there is this energy inside that just has to come out. They will either make some of the most incredible lion-chaser, CEOs, or pastors in the world, or they will wind up in prison somewhere. The influence of some really good teachers will probably make a lot of difference.

Sure, some days I think applying the board of education to a kid would really help them out, and some days I am totally worn out. But, overall, I have surprised myself at how much I have liked it.