Schools are back in session, sort of. As I write this, I’m deep in the throes of online professional development to prepare for the remote fall classes in my elementary school and a new role in the school. To be honest, I’m feeling a little sorry for myself. I want things to go back to normal, don’t you? I want to be safe and healthy and do my part to keep others safe and healthy, too, but deep down, I’m getting a little tired of this Covid-19 business. Weariness is setting in.

My pastor put things into perspective for me recently. Citing Ernest Shackleton’s expedition to the South Pole on Endurance (an aptly named ship!) my pastor recounted the harrowing tale of survival after Shackleton’s ship got stuck in an ice floe. After some months, the ice crushed their ship and they had no choice but to leave their place of isolation. They journeyed from ice floe to ice floe to get to the nearest place of rescue. It took over a year. After the final push down a 1000-foot wall of ice (50 feet of rope at a time), one of Shackleton’s men claimed that an invisible, “fourth man,” seemed present, supporting and encouraging them the whole way down.

Jesus wants to be our “fourth man” on our pandemic journey. Are you drawing on his support and encouragement during this ongoing difficult time? Jesus is here for us, and he’s here for your students and children, too. Many of the authors of this blog have been providing delightful ways to do this. Please go back and look at some of the older posts if you need some ideas!

Perhaps at this point in our pandemic journeys, you and your children, grandchildren, or students could benefit, like me, from a little regained perspective. One reason why I’m excited to get back into my school library is to check out one of the books we have about Shackleton’s journey. I’ve read several books in the past few years that relate in various ways to our days living in restricted environments and unusual conditions. While they aren’t Christian books per se, you might enjoy them (and perhaps feel a little better about your own situation!).

Here are a few:

Thin Wood Walls, by Christian writer David Patneaude, is a great story about a Japanese boy living in “quarantine” in an American concentration camp during World War II.

Donner Dinner Party, by Nathan Hale, is a graphic novel based on the true story about a group of pioneers who got trapped in the mountains and made some gruesome choices in order to survive. Definitely one for the boys who like to be grossed out!

Hatchet, by Gary Paulsen, is a survival story of a boy in the Canadian wilderness. Generations of kids have been inspired by this book.

Prairie Lotus, by Linda Sue Park, is a terrific tale, inspired by the author’s love for Little House on the Prairie. It’s from the perspective of a Chinese-American newcomer to the prairie life. Not exactly a survival or quarantine tale, but the isolation the main character feels due to her race, and the limitations of a new town on the prairie seem relevant, and girls, especially, will love this one.

I lived in Japan for several years, and one of my favorite Japanese words, gambate, keeps coming to my mind. It means to “persevere.” We can’t do much about the current situation and health-related restrictions, but we can do a lot to improve our attitudes and sense of perspective. May we draw on the presence of Christ and the lessons of history and even fiction to help us be grateful for the many ways God is providing for us. Things just aren’t as bad as they could be! Gambate, ne?!

Resting in His Arms,

Sonja Anderson