Words on a Page

I bounce around a lot during a day with very different audiences. Between the time I am at school with college students and the time I spend with high schoolers at seminary, I am absorbing the things I hear. On Thursday mornings I read with first graders. My mind is often full of all that I hear and see. I am so often taken away in deep thought. These experiences at times make me feel as if I am a time traveler.

With this travel I am intimately studying words on a page and what is influencing each group. For instance, today with a darling girl named Emma, we read Dr. Seuss. We laughed together at this funny and sunny made-up story. During my time with the teenagers, I study the words of the Old Testament. With these kids I discuss what God wants for each of us. In turn, I feel their testimonies and I come away content with the things we ponder each morning. Finally, with the college kids, I read words that are full of opinion and the science of man. In my creative writing class we read about first sexual encounters, war, abuse and poverty. This week we read poetry about "America". The words of the poems were angry, poisonous and FULL of profanity. I felt bothered by the words of division and their influence on these kids. 

During these various times, I am being taught and trained. It is apparent to me that I am to be very observant of all these moments. I feel like specific things are being pointed out. Sometimes when I am drifting off I feel almost a jarring to wake up and pay attention!  One keen awareness I have is the power of the printed word. With all three places I am covering vastly different writings and I think that is what has my mind swirling so often in thought.

I am most interested in how it is shaping my determination to see the best in all people. I want to understand all walks of life and be able to communicate with all people and in the process make sure that I can make a difference, for good, wherever I am.