Presence Editing Team
With July almost ending, a new school year is right around the corner. Some families had hoped that with the warm weather, the COVID-19 situation would have been under control by now, and they could have resumed traveling and enjoying the summer break. Unfortunately, that has not been the case. In the United States, the pandemic has worsened in many states; in some Asian cities, the number of COVID cases has suddenly spiked with an increasing risk of community outbreaks. When will this pandemic end? What lessons does God want us to learn in the midst of this? These are often the questions that we ponder.
Due to the pandemic, most parents with school-aged children are currently wondering, if not worried, about how the new school year will turn out to be, especially in places where the pandemic situation is going back and forth. Will schools reopen? Should I let my kids go back to school, should I let them participate in distance learning, or should I homeschool them? Of course, every family has a multitude of factors to consider before making such a decision, but no matter what a family decides, there will certainly be a lot of challenges.
On the other hand, for some students, the new school year will be switching schools or transitioning to the next phase of life (going to college/job-seeking after graduation). They will be adjusting to a new environment, new people, and new things. This, also, is challenging.
“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) As we face all the uncertainties and challenges that this new school year brings, we need God-given wisdom and strength to walk in His will. Let’s all come and pray!
Praying for ourselves as parents:
1. In the midst of busyness and uncertainties, may we all find quiet time every day to be close to God and receive strength and peace from Him.
2. May God give us wisdom to make the schooling choice that best suits our families and children.
3. May we learn to lift up our children’s health, academics, and future into God’s hands, trusting that He has the best plan.
4. Thank God for giving us extended time to be with our children; ask Him to help us live out faith in our lives so that we may become spiritual role models to our kids and mentor them spiritually according to their needs.
5. For those who need to juggle work, taking care of family, and helping children with schoolwork, may God give us time-management wisdom, work efficiency, understanding of our children’s learning needs, and patience to guide them.
Praying for our children:
1. For school-aged children, no matter whether they will go back to school physically or not, may God protect their health, mind, and soul.
2. For children in college, may God help them focus in their learning, even while learning virtually from a distance; may God also help them adjust to life at home.
3. During the pandemic, job-searching is especially hard. May God help all recent graduates be patient in waiting for His provision.
4. May God help our children adjust well to new learning models, teachers, school, and academic subjects.
5. Pray for our children’s social life and interpersonal relationships, especially when many types of study/work are conducted online.
6. Pray that our children can manage their time, stress, and emotions well.
The pandemic has indeed brought about many uncertainties for the new school year, but there is one thing we can be certain of: by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, we can present our requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus! (Phil. 4:6-7) May you all experience this heavenly peace too!
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