Why I Made My Students Run Around the House

How a group of wiggly middle-schoolers taught me the grace of the “reset…”

Years ago, a friend’s garage in North Carolina served as a makeshift sanctuary for art. I spent my days teaching homeschooled students the history of the greats, watching young hands learn to mimic the strokes of masters. It was a blessing to pass on what I’d learned, but looking back, I think I was the one being tutored.

I remember one specific class, a group of elementary boys who stayed with me well into their middle school years. They were quintessential boys: athletic, loud, and vibrating with more energy than a charcoal sketch could contain. You wouldn't look at them and think, "There sits a group of budding watercolorists." Yet, because of their curiosity, they loved it.

Still, we had to contend with wiggly bodies. When the air in the garage grew tight with unspoken energy and "ants in the pants" threatened to ruin a canvas, I’d call for "all paintbrushes downtime."

The boys would drop their tools and sprint. Two full cycles around the house, lungs pumping, feet hitting the North Carolina soil. They would return flushed, breathless, and amazingly, focused. Their best work often happened in the moments right after that reset.

Watching those boys, now young men, I realize they were sketching out a blueprint for the Christ-life:

1. Be Willing to be a Beginner: We often miss out on what the Lord has for us because we are afraid to look clumsy. Whether it’s a new hobby or a new season of faith, there is grace in the trying. God often hides his best gifts in the things we didn't think were for us.

2. The Grace of the Reset: When our patience is stretched thin and the canvas of our lives feels messy, we shouldn't be ashamed to take a lap. Sometimes a change of scenery or a moment of physical rest is the very thing that allows us to return to our calling with a clear eye. Your best work for the Kingdom might come after you allow yourself the space to breathe.

3. The Shared Studio: Creativity, like faith, wasn't meant to be a solo sport. These boys spurred one another on in their art and in their races. We are currently surrounded by a "great cloud of witnesses," yet we often try to paint our lives in isolation.

As I think of those boys, I’m reminded of Hebrews 12:1-2. We are told to throw off everything that hinders, especially the sin that "so easily entangles like a knotted thread, and to run with perseverance.

Bible Verse:

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus…” __Hebrews 12:1-2

Reflection:

Our lives are the projects. We are the clay, the canvas, and the textile. But we aren't the ones responsible for the final beauty; we are simply called to stay on the loom, keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, and sometimes, take that lap around the house when the way gets weary.

Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father,

I thank you for the gift of salvation and the blessing of running the race. Please help me to run in such a way that allows others to help me along the way. Help me to be open to new things as You direct, and help me to persevere in what You have already started in my life. Forgive me when I quit too soon or when I don’t utilize the community around me. May the thing that I’m working on become a beautiful masterpiece to reflect your glory.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Sitting with you on the porch,

Brooke