Core Scripture: “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” (Philippians 2:3-4)

Message: Wednesday morning my phone buzzed, lighting up on the end table next to me.  I quickly swiped up, seeing a text from our assistant principal.  No school.  Power outage?  Woah!  Talk about pleasant surprises!  I was almost ready to make that half hour drive out south. 

Thank goodness for administrators that care about you! 

I made use of my time, working all morning on a presentation I am giving at the KANAAE Conference in Manhattan, Kansas.  No sooner did I get a text saying school was cancelled—again!  To top it off, Friday was called off as well, and suddenly I had a five-day weekend on my hands. 

With possible snow days, fall breaks, Thanksgiving Break, and Christmas Break on the horizon, you might be in the same boat.  Extra-long weekends require teachers to remember a few things that come to mind …

1. Go to God.  Spend some quality time with Him.  In prayer.  In the Word.  In community.  I took advantage of meeting with my old men’s group Friday morning.  My drive to work now prevents me from meeting with them, but I enjoyed reconnecting.  All this gets your heart right and helps you spend your time wisely.
2. Be understanding.  There are some kids with unstable home lives.  School is their safe place, and the extra time off might be a burden for them.  Pray for these kids.  Check in on them privately when you return.  And know that their sleep schedules might be completely out of whack. 
3. Be flexible.  I sometimes feel rushed to get caught up.  Take things slow.  Cut an activity out if need be, but don’t expect your students to go from zero to 60 right from the get-go.  Shift your plans around.  Allow a little grace.  Take a deep breath and feel your kids out as they return. 
4. Plan ahead.  I took a little time on Friday to create two lessons I will be hitting soon.  Hey, less work for me when I return, right?  It made me feel productive, yet I didn’t overdo it.  I still had my “me time.”  It was actually a healthy combination of each. 
5. Check in. Do a quick check in when your kids return from a long weekend.  Have them give a thumb up, thumb to the side, or thumb down.  Have the kids share out what they did.  This will give you a good feel for what clientele you are dealing with.   

Going back to the core scripture above, I must consider my students’ needs first.  It would be selfish of me to not consider that some kids have been without power for more than three days.  Read further into Philippians 2:5, and we get the hardcore truth: “You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.” 

That is anything but easy.  Such a hard standard to live up to!  Yet through the power of the Holy Spirit, we can allow Jesus to take control. 

Challenge: Be understanding after returning from long breaks.  Take your students’ needs into consideration.  Be flexible and let the Lord direct your steps. 

Bible study: Read the following scripture and journal or discuss how it applies to today’s message.

• “Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.” (Colossians 3:12)
• “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:32)
• “Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind.” (1 Peter 3:8)

Prayer points: Lift up the following areas to the Lord …

• Praise God for unexpected days off to recharge your batteries!
• Pray for your students’ well-being as they navigate long weekends. 
• Pray for wisdom on how to be flexible and handle your students with understanding.

Just for fun: We had our youth group Halloween party last week.  My costume was a navy blue hoodie, gym shorts, and knock off crocs.  What was I?  A middle schooler of course.  All I forgot was the earbuds.  Shame on me!

Prayer: Lord, thank you for extra-long weekends!  Help us transition back into the week with humility, understanding, and positivity.  Amen.