I walked into the office at the beginning of December beat now and overwhelmed with life in general and all the things I had taken under my belt. I was without much hope and was surely not the happy go lucky girl I remember this time last year. But little did I know, God was brewing something up just for me.
"Hello", I said lowly as I quickly walked by Mrs. Shirley's office on the way to the bathroom not looking up. "Hey Linna, I have someone that is going to be riding with you in the afternoons", Annette said. I stopped in my tracks and spun around and marched myself right into Mrs. Shirley's office to see if I had really heard correctly. Could this be? A monitor for my bus? Surely not, our school was not hiring anyone. Maybe she just meant a sub driver was going to be riding to learn the route for when I was out. There was no way my luck could be good enough to be blessed with a monitor!
"What did you say?", I asked Annette. "I have a new monitor that is going to be riding with you in the afternoons and her name is Brittany". I am sure by the expression on my face and my mouth hanging to the floor was the reason she repeated herself :) I started clapping, smiling and felt all giddy inside. The weight of the world just fell off my shoulders. I could not believe after the last three torturous months that God had finally sent someone. It was perfect timing!
With school, Scentsy, all the craziness each route and finals just around the corner, I did not think I was going to make it through one more route by myself. I had been praying everyday for the Lord to help me in some way. I wasn't specifically praying for a monitor because I didn't think we were hiring anyone, I was just praying for any relief because the bus was out of control (refer to last post!). He did it. He sent me an angel and her name is Brittany!!
I almost ran to the bus full of excitement. I could not wait to meet her. I hopped on and said, "Hi, I'm Linna"! She told me her name and a little about herself and that she was in school as well to get her nursing degree. Wow, what a coincidence! Or was it?! She told me how she monitored and what she would do on the route. It was all music to my ears. But she looked so sweet and innocent. I had my doubts that she could really pull it off. So we pulled out and headed down to wait for the kids...
The horns blew and off we went, campus after campus, stop after stop. She walked the aisle up and down. She quietly told kids, "Sit down and put your back to the seat" and "No eating on the bus" and sometimes I heard her say, "Do you want me to write you up?". She didn't yell, stomp her feet or any other crazy stuff. The kids listened and did as they were told. And I didn't say ONE WORD the entire route to ANY child! IT WAS AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!! Could it be beginners luck or just that the kids were scared because she was new? I didn't really care what the reason was! It was just fabulous!
After that first route, she came walking to the front and I said, "Brittany, God sent you to me and you are a true blessing from Heaven"! I told her that I had been praying each day and that God answered my prayer by sending her to my bus. She just smiled. Although I was extremely happy and overjoyed to have her, I still had my doubts that the kids would continue to behave for her.
Well, here it is five weeks later and I have yet to yell at a child, tell someone to sit down or stop hitting or even write anyone up. I have laughed with the kids, played games with them as they have gotten on the bus, and started putting my verses up each week. To top that off, I even prayed for them last week as we were driving down the road. I looked up in the mirror and realized how precious each one of those children is to God and their families. I was able to see them in a different light now that the chaos was gone. Brittany brought peace not only to the bus but to me. She came at exactly the right time!
I am still in awe of how God knew exactly what I needed and when I needed it most. It seemed like He wasn't listening and that life had overcome me. I was one route away from giving up. I was at my lowest and He sent me an angel. Her name is Brittany...
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5
