2020

I was about to dismiss my class on Thursday, March 12th when the flyers were given to me 5 minutes before the bell rang, it read:"School will be cancelled tomorrow." No reason given. 
I knew the reason. As students asked me numerously why, I couldn't help myself but to keep it as normal as possible and say, "Don't worry, we will find out soon enough. In the meantime, enjoy the long spring break with an "extra day" off!" 


I had a bad feeling about this. It didn't seem normal for school to be closed the day before spring break. Given everything that was going on in the media, I thought the wise thing to do was to pick up my keys, laptop, and planner from my classroom in case we didn't come back for a a while. 

I wasn't even supposed to be teaching this week, I should have been in Europe with some of our students taking photos of the Big Ben, Stonehenge, The Eiffel Tour and L' Arc de Triomphe. This was devastating, I had been traveling most of my life and no trip was ever cancelled like this before.

The worse was about to begin, I thought nothing could be worse than my cancelled traveling plans at this point, yet I was wrong. I began reading on my social media newsfeed, friends posting alarming statements like, "Hurry up, supplies are running out," or, "I went to 3 different stores and there was no toilet paper." You said what now? 

I had just paid a good chunk off of my credit card, and my next paycheck was still ways down the road. I did not want to risk waiting that long, so I went to the grocery store and filled up my cart with as many supplies as I could find. They were right, all of the cleaning supplies were gone, items such as toilet paper, canned goods and frozen meats seemed to be wiped out from the face of the earth. 

Some people stared at my cart amused, others had a mocking face. I did not care about people's reactions at that point, all I knew is I had to get as many things for my family and I. 

It has started to get scarier the last couple of weeks, people have become insensitive in behavior, more selfish towards others and rebellious to the orders. Now there are rumors the military has to get involved due to people not following directions. Parks, gyms, restaurants, coffee shops, nail salons, banks, and other businesses are closed. Grocery stores close as early as 7:00 pm. The virus is spreading rapidly, and the deaths are increasing in the thousands day by day worldwide. 

Everybody is paused, plans are paused, jobs are paused. Nevertheless, life isn't. Love is still in our hearts, caring for our families is more important, and lastly, our hope cannot be taken from our minds and hearts. 

Some of us haven't seen our friends and other loved ones in a while, and it hurts. It hurts because all of us are locked inside.  
Some of us have lost jobs, family members, even our faith! 
Some of us have elderly people who are close to us and are prone to get sick faster and get in very bad shape, yet we are trusting that this will all end soon. 
Some of us have babies in our bellies, fear could very much get a hold of us, but in times like these you simply have to let go, and set your faith higher, remembering it is stronger than anything this world is currently going through.

It's easy to lose faith when everything that you've worked for and live for seems to be shut off and there is absolutely nothing we can do about it. And maybe it is time to reevaluate if we have put our hope in the wrong places. 

The earthly aspect of us is hurting, we couldn't fulfill those trips, celebrations, or milestones. Have we forgotten we are spiritual beings? Maybe our spiritual side is raging wild, eager for attention, and now the whole wide world literally has stopped for us to at least give it some thought. It has been put asleep, because we have ignored it far too long. 

Just like we wish we had a decent savings account at the moment, imagine what a mindset in Christ would do? This one never runs dry, it never stays in the negative numbers, and never fails! 

What does life await for us in the months that lie ahead, or even in the next few weeks? With all this extra time we could keep booking it and exhausting it with more leisure, "to kill boredom." Don't get me wrong, I love watching a good show or taking a nap, yet our eyes are open now, and how fragile we are! 

Wake up the inner you, speak to it. Get wise, go back to basics with God and just do a brief check in. No perfection required here.

I leave you with this:

Proverbs 8 New King James Version (NKJV)

The Excellence of Wisdom

 Does not wisdom cry out,
And understanding lift up her voice?
2 She takes her stand on the top of the [a]high hill,
Beside the way, where the paths meet.
3 She cries out by the gates, at the entry of the city,
At the entrance of the doors:
4 “To you, O men, I call,
And my voice is to the sons of men.
5 O you [b]simple ones, understand prudence,
And you fools, be of an understanding heart.
6 Listen, for I will speak of excellent things,
And from the opening of my lips will come right things;
7 For my mouth will speak truth;
Wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
8 All the words of my mouth are with righteousness;
Nothing crooked or perverse is in them.
9 They are all plain to him who understands,
And right to those who find knowledge.
10 Receive my instruction, and not silver,
And knowledge rather than choice gold;
11 For wisdom is better than rubies,
And all the things one may desire cannot be compared with her.

12 “I, wisdom, dwell with prudence,
And find out knowledge and discretion.
13 The fear of the Lord is to hate evil;
Pride and arrogance and the evil way
And the perverse mouth I hate.
14 Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom;
I am understanding, I have strength.
15 By me kings reign,
And rulers decree justice.
16 By me princes rule, and nobles,
All the judges of [c]the earth.
17 I love those who love me,
And those who seek me diligently will find me.
18 Riches and honor are with me,
Enduring riches and righteousness.
19 My fruit is better than gold, yes, than fine gold,
And my revenue than choice silver.
20 I [d]traverse the way of righteousness,
In the midst of the paths of justice,
21 That I may cause those who love me to inherit wealth,
That I may fill their treasuries.

22 “The Lord possessed me at the beginning of His way,
Before His works of old.
23 I have been established from everlasting,
From the beginning, before there was ever an earth.
24 When there were no depths I was brought forth,
When there were no fountains abounding with water.
25 Before the mountains were settled,
Before the hills, I was brought forth;
26 While as yet He had not made the earth or the [e]fields,
Or the [f]primal dust of the world.
27 When He prepared the heavens, I was there,
When He drew a circle on the face of the deep,
28 When He established the clouds above,
When He strengthened the fountains of the deep,
29 When He assigned to the sea its limit,
So that the waters would not transgress His command,
When He marked out the foundations of the earth,
30 Then I was beside Him as [g]a master craftsman;
And I was daily His delight,
Rejoicing always before Him,
31 Rejoicing in His inhabited world,
And my delight was with the sons of men.

32 “Now therefore, listen to me, my children,
For blessed are those who keep my ways.
33 Hear instruction and be wise,
And do not disdain it.
34 Blessed is the man who listens to me,
Watching daily at my gates,
Waiting at the posts of my doors.
35 For whoever finds me finds life,
And obtains favor from the Lord;
36 But he who sins against me wrongs his own soul;
All those who hate me love death.”