Ready, or not, the school year is about to begin! And while there are many aspects of school that none of us are looking forward to, I am so excited about the things God has planned for us this year.
I am a firm believer that school, no matter what grade you're in, is a God given opportunity to shine for Jesus.
Yes, school is hard enough without being intentional about looking for ways to love. Sure, it may get you some negative feedback and lose a few friends. But, it might be the perfect place for you to serve some hurting people. It might give you the opportunity to stand out from the crowd as you stand up for what you believe in, or bless you with the chance to build a community of fellow Christ followers.
As students, we have the perfect platform to reach other students. All we need is a little bit of courage and some creativity, and then we can go out and be a shining light inside the dark walls of our schools. And, because I feel so passionately about serving in our schools and glorifying God in this setting, I have some super practical and easy ways to help you go out of your way to love like Jesus at school!
1. Hide sticky note messages
Y'all, I love notes! I just can't help it, so this is my favorite way to love on people. These notes don't have to be long or complicated, just straight from the heart. You could write Bible verses, inspirational messages, or personalized compliments (if you're hiding them for a specific person).
And in school, there are so many perfect spots to hide little notes! Last year, one of my best friends and I wrote notes for a mutual friend of ours and hid them in her locker, and that was super special. Or you could slip notes in random lockers (I've done that too!). You could place your notes in books at the library, or even just leave it on your desk before you leave class.
2. Small candy w/ notes for finals
We all know how stressful finals are, and we all know how much the little things mean during that challenging week. One year for finals I created cute little notes (sorry guys, more notes) and taped a Hershey's Kiss to them to hand out to some friends. There's nothing like a little extra sugar during finals week, and I guarantee this will make people's day.
And again, this works for anyone at your school! Strangers you see in the hallway, a teacher, your best friend. If we're going to love like Jesus, though, we should look outside of our comfort zone and pray about who He wants us to reach, and then follow through!
Bonus points if you give them their favorite candy. :)
3. Invite the person alone at lunch to sit with you
I know, this is the cliche thing everyone says at youth group when talking about how to serve at school. But let's remove this from the cliches and make it real. Instead of just talking about it, let's actually do it, and I guarantee it'll make someone's day.
You see, Jesus went after the loners. Jesus went after the people sitting alone, the ones that no one wanted to be with. Jesus went after the people that everyone else rejected and pushed to the side. If we're going to be like Jesus, we need to go after those people too!
Maybe you spot someone from elementary school sitting alone in the lunchroom, or you recognize a classmate you haven't talked to much eating by themselves. Or maybe the Spirit leads you to reach out to a complete stranger! Whoever it is, step out of your comfort zone and invite them into your circle for the thirty minutes we have to eat lunch. They might not accept the invitation, and if they do, lunch may be completely awkward - but they'll know someone noticed them and cared enough to invite them over.
4. Thank you cards/emails for your teachers
I have written thank-you emails and cards since middle school, and let me tell you, it really does mean the world to our teachers. It's not about being a teacher's pet, but showing genuine appreciation for all teachers do for us. They really do pour their hearts into educating us, and many of them go the extra mile to build relationships and community in the classroom. The perfect time to send these emails/cards are right before a break (like Christmas break or summer).
If you want to be completely anonymous, the cards are the way to go. You can make these as extra creative as you'd like, or you can make them simple and sweet. Write as much as you want, and then all you have to do is drop it off on their desk. No one will know it's you, but the teacher will appreciate the effort you put into it.
Emails also work super well too! For a long time, this is what I did, and not only did it mean the world to teachers, it meant the world to me to be able to see how much it encouraged them.
5. Compliment a stranger
To the girls out there: we all know how amazing it feels to be complimented by a random girl in the hallway or as we're walking out of the bathroom. It feels so good to know that someone you don't even know notices you! So let's pay forward that little extra love (which costs nothing, by the way, minimal effort here) and give a little compliment to a stranger.
And it's not like we're lacking compliments either. How often do we think something super nice about someone and never get the nerve to say it?! It might make someone's day if we just blurted it out, so why don't we do it scared and let that pretty girl know we love her outfit or her hairdo?
6. Pray over your teachers and classmates
This is such a simple but impactful way to love on your school! Prayer truly changes things, and so when we come together to pray over the people in our school (whether we know them or not and whether we like them or not), it makes the biggest difference. And when you reach out to let them know you have been praying for them, they know that they are genuinely cared about.
7. Volunteer
There are so many times that we are asked to volunteer or help with something at school, but turn it down for a million reasons. But maybe we should get excited at the chance to help out! Maybe you decide to volunteer at meet the teacher night and show the new kids around. Maybe instead of sitting in the stands at football games, you work in the concession stand. Maybe you make posters for basketball games or see if there's anything a teacher needs. Maybe for you, this looks like picking up trash around the school.
Jesus got in the down and dirty of people's lives, serving where no one else would. Some people thought less of Him because of it, but many were changed by His humble love. We can serve like that too, humbly and generously, when we commit to getting out of our comfort zones and being intentional.
Friends, we are so blessed to have so many incredible opportunities to serve and love like Jesus in the hallways of our own schools! I challenge each one of us to take every opportunity God gives us this upcoming school year and shine for Him in a new way. Let me know down below what you are looking forward to this school year and one way you want to love like Jesus!
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