“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. 6 In all your ways acknowledge the Lord, and God will make straight your paths. 7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.” – Proverbs 3:5-7
Do you have a favorite day of the year? Growing up, mine was Christmas Eve – mainly because I always liked gathering with family, the delicious food, the music at Christmas Eve worship, and the anticipation of the next morning. Christmas Day was a very close second. But right behind those two days, my favorite day of the year was the first day of school. It beat out my birthday, Halloween, and all the other special days that kids look forward to.
The first day of school was when you found out who your teacher was, which lunch shift you had, who was in each of your classes, and which elective you got. The work load was always light on the first day of school. There were often new outfits involved. Sports started back up. And you got to see your friends – especially those who you weren’t as close with and hadn’t seen over the summer. The first day of school was the best!
As an adult, I still look forward to the start of the school year. It normally means more people are back in town after traveling throughout the summer. It often means the return to regular church programs. It means football season is about to begin. So much revolves around the school calendar, and I’ve always loved the “Back to School” season.
But this “Back to School” season is different – with some students doing virtual learning, some doing hybrid learning (partially in person and partially online), some switching to homeschooling, and others in person full time. And there is so much that is up in the air. Will the Saints or the LSU Tigers play? Will those who are unemployed be able to find work? Will those kids who are physically going to school get to keep going to school?
With so much of life up in the air right now, it’s hard to make decisions – it’s hard to juggle it all. And I’ve found myself turning to scripture more and more often. I’ll admit that Proverbs isn’t often my go-to book of the bible, but I’ve been inspired by the words of Proverbs 3:5-6, where it says, “Trust in the Lord, and do not rely on your own insight. Acknowledge the Lord, and God will make straight your paths.”
My prayer for each of you, for our church, and for our community is that God is working to make our path straight and that we are relying on God’s insight – that we are walking in the way of Christ.
Grace and peace,
Rev. Colleen
