Kirstin's Gift

Meghan and I stopped by Hunt Elementary School a few days ago. We wanted to say hello to the prettiest 2nd grade teacher around. I can say that because I’m her grandmother and grandmothers have bragging rights.

Kirstin is the only child of our oldest daughter, Elaine. Kirstin and her husband, Josh, live in downtown Puyallup, in a beautiful home on the river. She is only a few miles away from me but I don’t get to see her very often.

Kirstin was born in Anchorage and spent her elementary years there. Don and I looked forward to the times her family would come down to visit. She enjoyed playing with her cousins and the children in my daycare.

When Kirstin turned eight, it was decided she was old enough to fly from Anchorage to Seattle by herself and spend a couple of weeks with grandpa and grandma. Her favorite thing to do was to play school with the kids in the daycare.

I didn’t have to do much entertaining of my daycare while Kirstin was there. She had made lesson plans before leaving Anchorage. She had all kinds of little papers for them to work on, drawings to do, craft to make, and fun active games to enjoy.

Kirsten loved to perform for an audience. She would organize the older daycare kids or her cousins and they would perform a circus, give a play or dance a recital. They would make tickets and pretend to sell them for the show. All the adults would show our support by laughing, clapping and genuinely enjoying every moment.

From a very early age Don and I could see that God had given Kirstin a special love and gift for working with children. It was no surprise when she told me she would be pursuing a teacher’s degree in college.

I Peter 4:10 says, “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.” I know a group of boys and girls in the 2nd grade that have been blessed to have a teacher who loves them, loves God and loves using the “gift” which began to grow inside of her when she was only a 2nd grader herself.

Please pray for Kirstin and other teachers that have been given their layoff slips due to our tough economy. This was only Kirstin’s 2nd year of teaching so she won’t be teaching next year unless the Lord intervenes with a special assignment for her. I will be praying because I believe in miracles and I believe in Kirstin.