"Blessed are the flexible...

...for they shall not be broken." While this isn't one of the Beatitudes, I recall our pastor in California saying it should be. I was reminded of this phrase today and am having the opportunity to apply it.

When I arrived I asked to see the students' textbook, it looked very different: softbound vs. hardbound. And as I turned to the back, I noted that it didn't have the full number of Case Studies I had integrated into my class. But, I had carried copies of them and had them photo copied. So, I felt victorious in this. But, today I learned I didn't look closely enough at the text last week, since it said it was the same version on the cover.

The cover lied. One of my students came early to class and told me she couldn't do the assignment since the chapter wasn't in the text. Upon further examination and to my horror, the one shipped to me from Beijing is very different than my students' textbook. Their version also lacks 5 chapters I have.

Even if you don't teach, I'm sure you have an appreciation what that means to me right now; I spent a tremendous amount of time preparing for this class with my 19 chapter text. Now, I'm doing it again in "real-time."

"Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be broken." My lesson today: Teaching in a different country and culture is the ultimate petrie dish experiment to perfect resilience and resourcefulness.