Will there be a test?

Over the next year my lady and I are involved in a couple's devotional. Myles Munroe on Relationships is quite insightful. I enjoy how it is set up with an actual day assigned to devotions, like June 27th, not just 365 devotions.

I must admit that in the past 2 weeks I have been challenged to become the spiritual leader of my soon to be family. What exactly does that look like. Thoughts like "If a man can't teach the Word, he's not really ready for marriage." have caused me to step back and question myself. I'm glad that I have such an encouraging fiance that reassures me that I am already doing that in our relationship. There are other thoughts such as, "A man should always make a point to converse with his wife." that make me smack my forehead and say "I coulda' had a V8!" There are some obvious points like conversation that just need to be reiterated. Then there are encouraging moments like June 27th

"One of man's major responsibilities is to teach...the male is wired to teach...Men are teachers, but they must have something worth-while to teach."

You may have caught all those ellipses, and yes, I skipped a lot of material. On to my story; I have been pursuing a teaching career over the past few weeks actively. I have considered it in my mind for much longer. My two areas I want to go into instruction are Art and Martial Arts. Yet after reading this bit of teaching I realized this: I don't want to teach content/technique/style, I want to teach people how to be great people. It is The Word driving me to show this blessing to other people. The subjects of Art and Martial Arts are just the medium I use to connect with people. The real point of the relationship isn't to watch a person get good grades or pass their next belt test, but instead to invest in their lives and see God's blessing in their lives. I don't know about you, but this is (as Ron Burgundy would say) "kinda a big deal."

So thank the people that have brought something into your life that was more than just information to pass the test. Thank the people that gave you the tools and encouragement to succeed. Get on your e-mail, facebook, twitter, whatever and thank those people openly. Bless them in return for how they helped you :)