We Have To See the Value for Ourselves

Never give up; you never know until you try.

I’m happy to report that after looking under every rock around, I’ve found a job. Unfortunately, it’s another part-time endeavor, but at least I’m moving in a positive direction again. I’m even doing something I enjoy! I’m tutoring students who never finished high school and are working toward their GED’s. I’m still in the training program, “shadowing” in various classrooms, but I should be out of training soon.

I’ve already concluded a few things. One thing is that students must see the value of obtaining a GED, or they won’t stick with the program. It can be tough, as anyone who has attended high school will attest. Add to the tough curriculum the fact that many GED hopefuls haven’t been in a classroom in a long time, and you start to understand how brave someone is to undertake such a challenge.

Of course, I would argue that it’s even more challenging finding a decent job without at least a high school diploma or equivalent. That’s one of the biggest reasons students find themselves in GED classes—being sick of years of low-paying jobs.

The youngest students haven’t lived through years and years of bad jobs, and I think maybe that’s why some of them seem to be so indifferent about the whole thing. With the bravado of youth, some seem to think they have plenty of time, that they’ll be the exception to the rule and actually land a great job without a high school education.

That might be the hardest part for me—dealing with that type of student. Of course I’ll try to encourage those who seem to not care, but I’ll have to remind myself that they’ve got to see the value for themselves, to want it for themselves.

After all, everything in life is that way. We have to want something for ourselves or we won’t stick with the process of attaining it. Losing weight, getting more education, whatever—it has to be something we want. We won’t stick with it if our parents, our children, our “significant others” talk us into it.

I’ve been thinking of how many times friends or family have stood by, waiting patiently while all of us have slooowly come to the place of seeing value in something they knew all along we needed to be doing. How many times has God stood by, waiting patiently while we slooowly came to the place of seeing value in spending time with Him, learning about Him?

And so, I’ve made a New Year’s Resolution of sorts. It is, after all, a new school year; right? My resolution is to examine myself and to ask God to reveal to me anything (or anyone) I have undervalued and to help me see the true value.