Some Seasons Need Silence: Trusting God When Life Feels Still
It’s exam season which means my days at work right now are spent in silence as I watch my freshmen feverishly write during the 2 1/2-hour window they’ve been given to take this test.
As the facilitator, I don’t attempt any work that could distract me. No, my time is spent watching the clock as much as I watch my students.
And, boy, do those minutes crawl!
It never feels this way when I’m teaching this same group of kiddos. Time usually flies because my classes are interactive and full of energy and a whole lot of fun.
Watching the clock turn seconds into minutes and then minutes into hours today, I was reminded of the truth about time.
It never changes.
Ever.
The only reason exam days are so excruciatingly slow for me is how I’m spending my time.
Later this week, when I’m grading as fast as I can to meet my report card deadline, I’ll watch the clock in a much different way. I’ll wish time would slow down.
I have seasons in my personal life where circumstances either make me feel like life is at a standstill or I’m being rushed.
Just like my school’s exam schedule, I don’t control all the circumstances in my life.
It’s simply up to me to do the best with the time I’ve been given.
And if I allow frustration and worry to creep in? Well, I’ll quickly find out that absolutely nothing will change.
“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” – Matthew 6:34
During this exam week, I know I could have used that time to sit at my desk and grade, to get a head start on my lesson plans for next semester, or to do so many more productive things.
I have to remind myself that exam sessions don’t last forever.
Neither do tough seasons in my life.
I have to remember that my students needed this time of complete silence.
Sometimes, in my life, I have to focus completely on the needs of others.
I have to release the anxiety that the countdown clock was creating in me.
In my life, letting go helps me lean on God, allows me to trust Him completely.
I’ve been a teacher for the past 30 years. I know from experience, thanks to the schedule, that it will all work out in the end.
And all I have to do is open the Word of God to find proof that God’s good plan for my life has already been mapped out.
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” – Jeremiah 29:11
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