advice, okay sit down -smiles-

Al-Hamdu liLlah there's a hafiz at the school I work at, and barak Allahu fi, his advice is such a comfort to me.

One bit of advice that stuck with me and I must share:

"Don't keep things inside of you, sometimes let words go in one ear and out the other, because when you lock up others words inside it can frustrate you. "

It's true, some words we should just let pass us. al-Hamdu liLlah for good advice.

Once, I passed by his office and I asked him to aid me with my recitation of Qur'an, after helping me he gently and kindly asked, "Please make du`a' that Allah likes what I do." I got chills, here's this hafiz, helping so many people worried about Allah liking what he does! So then, what should I say about myself? subHan Allah.

Okay, random thought:

Something funny... So my students "hit" each other today... ya Rabbi, not cool, not cool at all. I then sat them down, and I told them we need to have a serious discussion, now they are first graders mind you. I asked them, what can we do when we feel upset and feel like we need to hit someone, something other than hitting? Hitting is bad. So then one student raised his hand, and I called on him, and he said, "instead of hitting you can say bad words." Hmm, there has to be something better.

I told them, when you are mad and you find you are standing, sit down, and if you sit and you find you're still mad lay down... and also remember to say audhu billahi minal shaytanir rajeem.

Anyways, I told them if they see me get mad to tell me to sit down, and if they think i'm still upset to tell me to lay down. At one point the class got too rowdy and I told them, "Please, back in your seats and settle down." Even though I didn't feel mad, and really wasn't that mad, the students told me to sit down. Well, I complied and I sat down. Then while sitting I told them, "Okay, now get to work!" Then they said, teacher lay down. Hehe, well, even though it would be odd, I listend to them I went to the floor and I laid down. On the floor, I started to laugh, maybe I was a little upset at them, and it just feels really silly to be on the floor, so I got up smiling and I asked, "Do you still think I'm mad?" And al-Hamdu liLlah they did not, and they were all smiling.

It's nice, in sha' Allah they will do it too if they find they get upset, khayr in sha' Allah. The hardest thing about teaching to me is to get them to do what you want them to without lifting your voice. One thing I absolutely loathe, I hate very deeply, is yelling... it annoys me, and it tightens my heart. Khayr, may Allah protect me from getting upset, and may Allah protect me from yelling. Amin

I hope all of you are making the best out of the final days of your Ramadan, please include me in your good du`a' I can't tell you how valuable your du`a' are!!! I can't imagine a greater mercy or gift from anyone.

Take care, and jazakum Allahu khayran for reading my thoughts.