Spirtual Slump

I have been feeling like I was in a spiritual slump for the past few weeks maybe even the last month or so. Life has been so busy with getting back into starting school and a new niece being born. I haven't made time for church like I should. Then when I am there my thoughts are everywhere else. When I get stressed, my mind goes 90 to nothing and it is difficult to focus on anything. It hasn't helped that I've had some "bad" things happen involving church. The first was right before school started. We had a back to school school supply give away that only ended in disaster. There was a lady there who tried to get supplies for her 3 year old saying she was starting kindergarten. Well, I teach kindergarten and you have to be five to start. This lady was preventing kids that genuinely needed backpacks from getting one. When some people approached her about it, she got very angry. It ended with me being yelled at over it and called a low life. I don't think I've ever been called a low life before. It planed a few negative seeds in my mind and heart. Here I was doing the "Lord's work" and I got called a low life. With school starting back, this meant that some of our youth were off to college leaving a pretty large hole in the youth group. This was another negative seed in my mind. It just wasn't going to be the same with out them and school is too busy for those that are here to participate. By last week, these negative seeds had grown into full fledged plants that were choking any positiveness out of my mind. On Wednesday night, while on the van taking kids home from church, someone broke into my car and stole my purse and my lunchbox. Having someone in my car and taking my stuff has made me feel very violated and it only makes it worse that it occurred in the church parking lot. Church is suppose to be a safe place where only good things happen. Sunday I had a really difficult time going back to church.
But this got me thinking about why things like this happen. I know that it isn't God punishing me for whatever bad things I've done. These things happen sometimes to keep us away from our true calling. These things shift our focus from the positive and the amazing god we serve. But God is so good that he prevails. Last night at youth, it was a really good turn out with good discussion. I had the opportunity to talk to one of the youth one on one who I haven't a chance to talk to in a while. These youth always make me remember what is important and where my focus should be. Our lesson challenged me to think about how I was living out this Christianity I hold on to so tight.
My class at school has been extra challenging these past few weeks. They've been talking constantly and being defiant. It has been very difficult. Thinking about living out this calling to be a Christian, made me think about how I was handling my students at school. Was I trusting in God to help me through this? Was I praying for my children and praising God for them? So this morning on my way to school, I prayed for each of them by name. I'm not saying this is a miracle cure. But it is a challenge to myself. To pray for my students each day. Day 1 was better. It wasn't perfect but I found myself able to handle the frustration better and show my students more love.
So maybe if I continue this challenge, I can get out of spiritual slump.

The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.
Psalm 28:7