Do Not Fear

To say these are trying times is an understatement. It’s not just my family being affected by it, it’s families all over the world. It’s scary, it’s stressful, and it’s got us questioning what is really going on.

I got an email from my kid’s school district that kind of had me in a panic. I have 3 daughters who are all supposed to be going to the next phase of school. My youngest is headed into 6th grade, that’s middle school for us now. My middle is headed into high school, so she’s supposed to have her 8th-grade promotion, and my oldest is supposed to be graduating from high school.

My oldest is supposed to have her senior prom, and senior trip, and be spending these last few months with the friends she’s made over the years. These things have been paid for and now, it’s disappointing and heartbreaking to know this may not happen.

When I got the email about them closing the schools and that they weren’t going back, it almost brought me to tears. I feel for not only my baby but all the seniors and college students who are experiencing this.  Immediately after reading the email, I felt the Lord tell me:

Do not stress about the unknown

You’re acting like you forgot who I am

Don’t let fear set in now, you’ve been doing good this far

Now is not the time to give up

Now is the time to get closer to Me

In Me there is peace

In Me there is comfort

In Me, you find refuge when you’re weak

I have and will always be in control

Think about good things

You need to remain strong

Your babies need you

They need to see how you’re handling this

You set the tone in your home

Show them peace

Show them your strength

Show them how this world doesn’t define you

You will get through this, show them

I read that multiple times already and every time I feel like I’m about to lose it, I read it again.  I have even encouraged my daughters to pray more, any time they feel upset or anxious, pray and ask the Lord to be calm in the chaos.

My kids, well 2 of them, are freaking out and it hurts my heart to see them break down when they think of what they will be missing out on. The thing I have to remember is that even though it doesn’t look good, it doesn’t mean it’s not working for our good.

God knows what He’s doing. We may not know, but He knows. No matter how messed up we think all of this is, there is still a silver lining. I have introduced a new routine to my kids.

When we wake up, we watch a sermon. I’ve introduced them to Steven Furtick, Priscilla Shirer, and Michael Todd, to name a few.  So far, they’ve enjoyed Priscilla Shirer. When we finished watching her YouTube video, my oldest daughter told me “I really like her.” That made my heart happy. After we watched it, we

talked about what they got out of it, spent some time trying to figure out who we wanted to watch next, and bonded over queso and tortilla chips. It was nice.  Even though this time is causing a lot of us to pause and maybe even give us some redirection, we can still make the most of it. We now are finding new ways to spend time with Jesus as a family. They ask questions, and we discuss what they don’t understand. It’s been good.

As for me, I’m still hopeful. I don’t care how many people may tell me what they hear, I’m looking forward to seeing God change this outcome for the better.  I’m still hopeful my middle daughter will have her promotion. I am still hopeful my oldest daughter will have prom, a senior trip, and get to walk across the stage for all her friends and family to see.

It may not be how we imagined it would be, but I believe it will be an experience they won’t forget.