It was a year ago, March 2020, that my students left for spring break and didn’t come back for the remainder of the school year. When they finally returned in the fall, the pandemic made everything look different.

Now students arrive every morning with masks on and hand sanitizer clipped to their backpacks. Some Zoom in, using technology to bridge the gap while their parents add homeschooling to the list of tasks they juggle.

Instead of arranging desks into tidy groups for teamwork and discussion, teachers now separate them into rows of solitary islands. Cozy reading corners with bean bag chairs and pillows no longer exist. Individual packets of supplies replace caches of shared materials.

Students who once crowded around a single lunchroom table are now spread across several tables in alternating positions. When the meal ends and the class lines up—socially distanced, of course—workers descend like synchronized swimmers to disinfect surfaces before the next classroom arrives. And on the playground, students maintain that invisible bubble of space around them.

So much has changed.

But… still the heart of school remains. Behind the masks are kids who smile or cry, show off or hide, thrive or struggle, trust or fear. They long to learn, to connect, to know they are not alone.

Teachers do what teachers always do, putting the student’s needs first. They adjust how they teach and communicate. But most of all, they love and love and love on those kids, praying that, if all else fails in the classroom, at least the children will count their classroom as a safe place with people comforting and encouraging them—perhaps no longer with hugs or high-fives but with listening ears and kind words.

And something else that endures forever, God’s Word, offers even more comfort and encouragement we can take to heart. At school. At home. At church. Anywhere.

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. Isaiah 43:2 NIV

God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble. Psalm 46:1 NIV

Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:34 NIV
Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV

What other verses have you have shared with your child to comfort him? What about stories? Please share your ideas so we can support each other!

Post by Lori Z. Scott

Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash