![]() Okay, I feel like something needs to be said and since this is my blog post, I guess I will. People need to stop complaining. Life is hard now for everybody. Let me repeat that. Life is hard for everybody. I don’t know one single person who hasn’t been affected by this pandemic. It is an annoying and frustrating time of life. We all have our individual hardships that we’re struggling with, but here’s the deal. For all intents and purposes, we are all in the same boat. Collectively speaking, we have gone through some stormy seas together. Problem is, instead of rowing our way through this unsettled time, we are too busy splashing each other and trying to throw people we disagree with out of the boat.
I am a teacher. So far this year, I have been in three different models of learning and asked to change course four separate times. It is exasperating and challenging to be asked to change so many times, but I have done it because it is my job. Meanwhile, I have quietly observed the social media bombardments that occur every time our school board makes a decision about the safest way to educate our children through this pandemic. I have been on the receiving end of some nasty parent emails when someone disapproves of their vote. Trust me when I say this, no matter what decision they make or what model of education they vote for, someone always disagrees with their choice. Some were outraged when we started the year hybrid, others were unhappy when we went back full time. Then when we went virtual, there were people who complained about that. Not once have I seen or heard an outpouring of, “Let’s support them. They are doing the best they can.” Yes, I will see the occasional post about why it is important to pull together at a time like this, but not very often. Not often enough. You know who is handling this pandemic really well? My students. Every time something major has changed, they have adapted. When they were asked to wear a mask all day they complied. When we went virtual, and they were asked to sit in front of a computer for most of their day, they did it. When they had to go hybrid and some of their friends weren’t in their group, they accepted that. Most of them did it without uttering a single complaint. Kids are resilient. Maybe that is why they do not complain like we adults tend to. But I have another theory. Kids do not complain as much about things like this, because, simply put, they trust us. They trust that the adults in their life know better than they do. They do what they are told because they have faith in our decision-making abilities. I have a social skills book called What to Do When you Grumble too Much. Maybe they should make a grown-up version of the book, because I feel like a lot of adults could take a lesson from their kids. In the end, whether you grumble or not, all boils down to one thing. Trust. Yes, it comes down to trusting that people are making the best decisions they can with the information they have. But it also comes down to trusting God – the One who sees the beginning and the end of everything. When I was in kindergarten, my teacher shared a devotional about a girl who had to cross a bridge over some treacherous water. She was scared, but she was also with her father. So even though she was afraid, she held his hand and believed that he would get her safely across the bridge. She trusted him. Who are you trusting? Do you trust that there is a Higher Authority than even our leaders in government and in schools right now? If you do, you would be wise to take hold of his hand and let him guide you through this stormy season of life. It is a season that is scary, complicated, and frustrating at times, but you are with the One who knows the beginning and the end of scary, complicated, and frustrating. You are in good hands. Trust Him. He’s got this. Photo by Marcos Paulo Prado on Unsplash Comments are closed.
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