Guest Post by Beth Vincent
I’m a doer. Friends describe me as responsible, capable, and practical. If a task needs to be completed, I’ll find a way to do it. This is a hard season to be a doer when so much of life is out of my control.
It’s been over four months since our schools and workplaces closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. My husband and I continue to work from home, and we have no idea when our workplaces will reopen. We have two school-age kids.
My son’s first grade teacher provided excellent structure and support for the six weeks that we did remote learning in the spring. She went live at 10:00 AM and 1:00 PM each day and provided a weekly calendar of tasks to complete. We’re a schedule-oriented family and this structure worked for us.
Remote learning preschool was a little more challenging engagement, but my daughter enjoyed seeing her teacher online each day. Truly, it was a joy to do school with my kids and I enjoyed getting to know their teachers and classmates in a new way. There were a lot of tears and a lot of prayer, but we did it.
Now my doer mind is constantly trying to figure out what this upcoming school year will look like for our family. When school reopens, our son will be entering the second grade and our daughter will be entering kindergarten.
Until then, I’m stuck in the waiting … waiting for our local school to release their reopening plan. There is nothing for me to do right now except wait.
What I am learning during this uncomfortable waiting period is that God wants us to seek Him in the waiting. Every time I feel my mind start to spin with questions, I repeat Psalm 46:10, “Be still, and know that I am God.” Being still is not easy for me. Stopping my thoughts and making my mind still requires intentional action.
Even though the questions continue to come, God’s Word speaks steady.
When I ask: “What will in-person school be like? Teachers already work so hard, what new protocols are we asking them to add to their day?” He answers, “Be still, and know that I am God.”
When I ask: “If full time remote learning turns the best option for our family, how will I be able to continue working? I’m not sure that I can balance both for an extended period of time.” He answers, “Be still, and know that I am God.”
When I ask, “How will this school year, whether at home or in-person, affect our kids socially and emotionally?” He answers, “Be still, and know that I am God.”
When I ask: “What if there are not enough teachers and staff willing and able to return to school for the fall semester?” He answers, “Be still, and know that I am God.”
When I ask: “What toll has this taken on school administrators and staff who have worked long hours all summer to figure out how to do school in unprecedented times?” He answers, “Be still, and know that I am God.”
When I ask: “What about the parents that need their kids to go to school full time for their financial stability or their mental health?” He answers, “Be still, and know that I am God.”
When I ask: “What about the kids who need to be in school full time because school is their safe place? The place that they get food and support?” He answers, “Be still, and know that I am God.”
Do you find yourself asking questions of God? Perhaps, His answer for me offers a comforting answer for you.
“Be still, and know that I am God.”
Beth and her husband Barry have two energetic children. She serves on the leadership team of MOPS, the Mothers of Preschoolers ministry at Centerville Community Church in Centerville, Ohio, and works part-time for Athletes in Action International as an Administrative Assistant.
