Lesson learned: People come and go for a reason

As a teacher, it takes me a good chunk of time to decide where all my students are going to sit. I know you might think that's silly, but there's actually a lot to take into consideration! I look at personalities, levels of loudness, reading ability, boy and girl combinations, how chatty they are, how well they can (or cannot) focus, leadership and cooperation abilities, etc. It's quite the process. But I'm willing to take the time to really make it work because I know how big of a deal it is. I know that certain students need to be around other students in order for them to be successful, happy, and focused. I also know that some students need to not be around certain students in order for them to be successful, happy, and focused.

Whenever I decide it's time for a change, I wait until the school day is over and then I move all of their desks around. The next morning, the kids quickly realize they have new spots and wander around to find their desks and see who they sit by. Then the shouts of glee begin as friends discover they're sitting next to each other, quickly followed by some dramatic moans, as some discover they're sitting next to their not-so-favorite classmate and their friend is on the other side of the room. Some of the unhappy students will plead with me to switch their desks with so-and-so, but I just tell them that I really think this will be a good spot for them for now and give them a little pat on the back.

Even though the days of having our desks moved around are over, we still have similar experiences in our lives now as people come in and out of our lives. Heavenly Father is constantly moving "desks." I don't always love it when this happens since I am a big fan of things staying the same, but I take comfort in the fact that He doesn't just move desks around for kicks and giggles; He does everything with a purpose. He knows who will work well together and who won't, who needs help and who needs to be a helper, who is feeling tired and who is feeling strong, who needs a change of scenery and who needs a bit of consistency, who will bring someone down and who will lift another up, who is a good listener and who needs to work on being a good listener, who is willing to be vulnerable and who is going to remain guarded, who needs to learn something and who needs to teach something, who is very capable and who is still a beginner. He knows who needs to be next to who in order for all of us to get where we need to go and become who we need to become.

People are placed in our lives for a reason. We may not see it at first and we may even want to ask the Teacher to "switch our desks," but if we pay attention, we may be fortunate enough to see how that person is blessing our lives. On the flip side, people sometimes leave our lives for a reason. We may have a loved one pass away, a roommate move out, a significant other leave the relationship, or a family member move. Sometimes it might be because they weren't having a great influence on us. Or it might be because we have learned what we needed to from them and Heavenly Father needs us to learn something from someone else.

Right now, more than ever, I know that there are people in my life who are there for a specific purpose... old friends, new friends, past mission companions, the senior couples I taught at the MTC, the members I met in Poland, mission presidents, my bishopric, my stake presidency, siblings, parents, teachers, the guys I've dated and then broken up with, visiting teachers, visiting teachees, roommates, next door neighbors, the guy who spoke in church a few weeks ago, the girl who stopped by just to say hi, those who read my blog, extended family, co-workers, mentor teachers, and my dear first graders. It's almost unnerving how well Heavenly Father knows me and who I need in my life right now. I have been blessed by so many people and have been able to bless others simply because their desks were moved next to mine. How grateful I am that I don't always get to choose where my desk will be and that we have a Teacher who has planned out the perfect "seating chart" for all of us.