School's [Almost] Out!
It bears repeating...it’s been an incredible year.
It’s been incredible because of the challenges we’ve faced and the challenges we’ve overcome; incredible because we were able to teach our students in the classroom for the entire year. No small feat during this pandemic, and one which other schools struggled to accomplish. Some of them succeeded, some did not.
We are blessed by a God who took this horrible, terrifying, scary, disruptive time to bless Immanuel with an amazing staff. And He brought us new staff members and classroom volunteers who turned out to be just as amazing.
God blessed us with children and their parents [and extended family] who were patient, understanding, and happy to work together with us for the betterment and the safety of their children.
He blessed us with good health under these challenging circumstances, and taught us how to be flexible and to wait on Him for the extra strength we needed to get through the rough days, the days when the hands on the clock didn’t seem to move; or the days when so many people were out. He always provided enough substitute teachers and assistants to make it through each and every day.
God blessed us with new families—so many joined Immanuel Lutheran School this past year! We are grateful for them and for the opportunity we’ve been given to partner with them to provide an excellent education for their children.
He blessed us with dedicated volunteers who sanitized each room after school, keeping our students and staff safe. Others donated toward or provided additional safety equipment, while still more volunteers prepared treats for the staff on a regular basis to let them know their additional efforts were noticed and appreciated. These special times also provided healing fellowship for teachers and staff who were exhausted and stretched to their limits.
God blessed us with His strength to step out boldly each day and deal with whatever it brought us. He gave us His patience to accept and wait on His grace. He gave us self-control to deal with the added frustrations and unfamiliar working conditions. He gave us His goodness so that we could share that with our students and their parents—who were scared and unsure themselves.
Finally, God gave us Himself. He lived, loved, suffered, died, and rose again for our sins. We are forgiven for all the crazy thoughts and snide remarks that have gone through our heads
during the past 15 months. Not only that, He knows how we feel. He was true man and true God while He lived on this earth. He understands our frustrations and our anger. He understands our fears and our foibles. He understands. And He loves us more than we could ever imagine.
And He gave us summer...a chance to rest and recover and realize how blessed we truly are.
Lori Ward St.Vincent
Director of Communications
