First Day Jitters: Pandemic Edition

Monday night was hard. I saw so many teachers excited to return to school to see their students. And it wasn’t that I wasn’t ready to see my babies again!  I’ve missed them!  It’s the fear of another year of unknown that had me (has me) burdened. 

When I woke up this morning, along with many other educators locally and abroad, I joined in the tradition to post my school day prayer on social media. And I froze. I literally didn’t even know what to ask God for. Who has ever been prepared to teach in a global pandemic like we’ve had to this year?

So I reflected on what would really be needful. And two big ideas came to mind: love and grace. Not just for my students and not just for my coworkers. I need love and grace for myself too!  The unprecedented circumstances of this year are going to require courage and flexibility of us. And that’s no problem because teachers always rise to the occasion. But it’s also true that we’re navigating unchartered territory here, and we are bound to mess up. Maybe even more than once. Maybe a lot. 

So my prayer was that God would let me be love to those who need it, grace to those who are struggling (with a hearty handful of this for myself!), and that I could be brave enough and strong enough to leave all the rest in God’s hands. 

And tonight a truth occurred to me that’s very simply truer than true.  Whether or not I commit it to God’s hands does not change the truth that it’s already IN God’s hands.  And that’s the safest place I can think of or desire to be. 

Love. Grace. Trust. God grant me these for others and for myself in this new year. In Jesus’ name, Amen.