3 Things I’m Learning Since Having My Job Completely Disrupted

What a weird season we are in currently. I went from leading parent-teacher conferences to grabbing my computer on my way out of the school building not to return for five months. I went from hugging my students each school day to talking to them on the phone and over Zoom. I went from a normal routine to a completely new and disrupted schedule. However, even though things are new and different and sometimes hard, I’ve managed to learn a few things. 

Here’s 3 things I’m learning through all of this:

1. God is Still God

On the days that I feel ready to conquer another day of remote teaching and on the days that I don’t feel like getting out of bed, God is still God. I remind myself of what I know to be true about God. He is still good. He is still faithful. He is still gracious. He is still speaking. He is still working. I’ve found peace in knowing that God is the one thing that hasn’t changed. I can still worship, pray, and cry out to him in confidence that he still hears me and is still speaking. 

2. Disruption Can Be Good

I can be guilty of filling my schedule beyond my limits. Throughout all of this, I’ve found that God is inviting me into a season of true rest. Rest in the sense of a freed up schedule, not binging Netflix all day. Rest in the sense of reading a book, not reading my timeline. Rest in the sense of spending time in quiet, not racing to the next activity. As I’ve slowed down, I’ve found that God was waiting on me to make the choice to draw closer to him. He’s always been chasing me, I had just filled my schedule too full to always notice. 

3. There Are Helpers Everywhere

As Mister Rogers told us, if you look hard enough, you can find people helping others. In this trying time, the helpers are being put on full display. Whether that is an essential worker, a neighbor, or a friend, there are people helping others everywhere. When I see those helpers, I see God’s grace and his love being shared. They may not know it but they’re being the hands and feet of Jesus. And in our current season, that feels significant and encouraging. 

So if your career has been disrupted like mine, hear me when I say, I see you and I get it. If you’re an essential worker and your career has also changed drastically, hear me when I say, I see you and I thank you. There are days that feel especially heavy and hard but on those days, I’m reminded that God’s peace and power have victory over our situations. Like Jesus tells us in John 14:27, “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” God’s peace tethers us to him and his presence. And what a comfort that is in these times of disruption.