Into the Unknown

There was a tornado that ripped across Missouri last May. It went through Carl Junction, Oronogo, Eldon, and Jefferson City. All cities that currently surround me and my hometown. It was the night before the last day of the 2018-2019 school year. The majority of the evening was spent with my podmate, Brittany, and her husband in our Middle School storm shelter. Once sirens had been stopped for a while, we went to Brittany and Graham's house to ride out the rest of the storms still going through. Eventually we decided we would wake up early, stop by my apartment before school, and go to our last 3 hours of the school year.

When we woke up the next morning, the rain was still pouring down. Brittany and I knew it would take forever to get to school, because the quickest routes into town would all be flooded. About the time we were ready to leave, we got the automated call from our Superintendent that school was canceled. We're used to snow days in the winter, and occasionally they roll into late March or early May. We had never had a flood day before. Even a couple weeks prior when there was flooding, students were just excused for being tardy. Just like that, our school year was over. Honestly, absolutely everything about school last year was challenging. Not having an official last day of school seemed to be a fitting end.

When schools started canceling due to Covid-19, and rumors spread that it could mean the end of the 2019-2020 school year all together, I immediately thought of last year without a last day of school. I think some schools, like my hometown, were lucky, they weren't in the middle of Spring Break, so they treated the last day before the Covid Break as their last day of school. Not here in Southwest Missouri. We're left going into the unknown. First, it was would we go back in April? Now, it's will we go back in May? Do we get a final good-bye with our students? Will Friday, March 13th (ironic?) be our last day of school for 2019-2020?

I know it's a weird thought, but in some ways I feel like God was preparing us last year for what was to come. Reminding us that a last day of school is never guaranteed, and there are other ways to cancel school than snow days. I also like to think God has a strange sense of humor. Not that He is laughing at our current situation by any means! I just think He sat back last May laughing at us saying how weird it was not having a last day of school and He thought, "Ha! You ain't seen nothin' yet. Just wait!" On the other hand, I also know He is a God who heals and a God who performs miracles. Therefore, I also know what He's capable of doing with and through the uncertain times we're sitting in. I'd like to think He's saying, "Just wait. You'll see. I got this."