Psalm 46:1-3 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.
The last quarter of the 2019-2020 school year will long be remembered. At times during the last three months, it may have felt as though the earth was, indeed, giving way. Students, teachers, and parents were physically separated from their friends. Field trips, sports seasons, music programs, graduations, and confirmations were cancelled or postponed. Learning new ways of doing things was frustrating in many instances. Surely, there was great difficulty. However, throughout it all, God’s Word reminded us that He is our strength, and He showed us in many ways.
The strength of the Lord was shown through relationships. Our Lutheran schools place great importance on developing relationships with our students and families, our churches, and our community. During the last three months, those relationships allowed us to stay together as school communities during a time of great isolation for many. Our schools saw the need to continue and build on those relationships. Through Zoom meetings, online lessons, phone calls, email and text messages, and more, we used all available ways to connect to one another. God showed His strength through relationships that had already been built, and became stronger in a time of crisis.
God has shown His strength through the continued learning opportunities offered by our schools. The Lord provided the tools, the experts, and the willingness on the part of students, teachers, and parents. The collaboration between teachers and schools was tremendous. Our principals shared ideas, and our teachers shared resources. What at first seemed impossible became possible when we realized how we could help one another - building on our relationship strength.
The strength of the Lord has been shown through our continued connection to Him and His Word. Through online devotions, chapel services, virtual choirs, Zoom confirmation classes, and YouTube worship, our schools and churches have found new ways to keep people together in the Word. It hasn’t been ideal to be away from our school and church families, but what a blessing that we have had these tools and people willing to figure out how to maximize their use!
