The Worst-Case Scenarios

 I'm a teacher.  Currently, I teach 6th through 8th grade self-contained classroom.  My students have very specific needs.  I'm trying to be careful as I write because I want to protect them and really, this post is not about them.  I have people that work with me and this past week, some of them were let go.  They are good people.  I'm actively praying for them to find a better way.  

There is talk about my school closing.  Keep it open and the margin for comfort goes down significantly.  Should the school close then my program would move to another building.  Allegedly, my program would move anyway.  My vote is to move but there are so many other teachers and parents that are fighting for the school to stay open.  I get it.  When there was talk of my little A school that my wonderful kids went to, I was fit to be tied.  I wrote emails and I tried to let the media know.  I was livid at the thought that my kid's perfect little school was closing, and they were talking about sending my darling children to the worst school in the district.  At the end of the day, they ended up going to the much farther music school that was the compromise.  All this to say that I understand their thoughts.

The whole thing reminds me of God telling the Israelites to move and a remnant to stay when it came to the Babylonian takeover.  Don't we all love the status quo?  Don't we love the thought of what is known?  There is a part of us that can't imagine the worst-case scenario.  Well, I sit here typing just to tell you that worst-case scenarios happen all of the time.

What is there to help us navigate it all?  What is there to help us understand when our brains don't let us?  What do we do when the worst thing that can happen, happens?  I'll tell you what I have done.  I pray.  I call out to God, the Triune God.  If the school closes... If we don't get the job... If we can't pay a bill or bills...  Do yourself a favor, pray.  Believe that there is a God who can help you and pray.  

Right now, I find myself praying about opportunities.  I think that this is an adequate prayer too.  I pray that instead of facing worry, I should pray.  When I am not enough, I need to pray.  And after all of that prayer, I will praise my Good God who walks with me when I'm going through the valley of the shadow of death.  Praise the Lord!