Sunday School

Last night was the opening meeting for catechists for the 2008-09 schoolyear, and I got to attend! Because I am a catechist! Or, a catechist's assistant anyway. I am (pretending/volunteering to be) a teacher of Kindergarteners, can you believe it? I'm a tad bit excited about this and only wish I had more hours in the week to devote to planning each Sunday lesson, because man, there are some fun things we could do. Anyway, some things last night that made me smile:

• They referred to our being there as a calling. And I think it is. Obviously, this is a more difficult volunteer job than, say, stuffing envelopes for the front office, so to do it requires a hearty level of commitment (although I don't mean to belittle those who volunteer to do the other stuff). The idea came to me out of the blue. A whisper, almost, after I heard from a friend that I should get AJ registered. "You should sign up to be a teacher," I thought. I have never in a million years considered doing this before. But I felt very sure about doing it, from the minute the thought surfaced. I'm excited by that, as I don't feel I've been particularly "called" to anything -- certainly not a ministry -- in a long, long while. Well, except married life and parenting, of course.
• This is going to force me to be more aware of others, and of my faith, and I think I desperately need that. I am really hopeful that this will give my soul a boost. Give and ye shall receive, ya know?
  
• One of the first Kindergarten lessons is "God made the plants and animals," and of course I thought of "If I Were a Butterfly." I think I even remember all the lyrics.
• The other song I thought of was "Zaccheus was a Wee Little Man," and lo and behold, there is a chapter on Zaccheus, too. SCORE. (Sunday School is the same now as it has ever been, I guess.)
• The woman I'm teaching with seems very nice, has 3 little kids, one in AJ's 4-yr-old class, and we are going to be new best friends I am just sure ofitawesomeawesomelet'sgetlattes! Okay, not really, I mean, I don't KNOW if we'll hit it off, but I am kinda hoping for a new girlfriend out of the deal (and get a leeettle carried away about it). I'll try not to be too lovey toward her, right here at first. Hee. She seems very sweet.
• There was a funny lady at my table who's taught Kindergarten CCD for 5 years. She's originally from Long Island and says she begins every Sunday by making all the kids come "Give me mah Sugah." Apparently the kids ADORE it. ;) She was one of those people, though, whose appearance -- big earrings, bright clothes, etc -- would lead you to believe she's outwardly focused, but in reality, she is very much on a spiritual journey. She lost her 23-year-old daughter to a car accident 10 years ago, and shared a lot about her walk with God since then. Inspiring. I LOVE when people surprise me like that.
• I thought of my Mom, who taught Kindergarten at one time, and my Aunt L who taught school for 20-something years, and Maryb and my cousin Dominique, who've taught CCD/PSR/Sunday School, too... now it's my turn.
• Okay, don't tell anyone, but I'm ALSO secretly hoping that I'll be so good at this (heh) that a teaching position will open up at the school, and they'll totally ask me to apply. School hours, dude. School. Vacations.
• It's very cool to be doing this in the Internet age, because: Resources! Tips! Communities! Very helpful for this first-timer.
  

Pray for me!