Joey…

My heart is breaking… my oldest daughter is a kindergarten teacher… and one of her functions is to facilitate online teaching in our district which employs a hybrid model (some on line and some in classroom teaching due to the pandemic)

Yesterday, she was helping a student well call “Joey” with his online work and then a test. As they began to take the test, his mother came to help him. Not realizing his mic had not been muted, his mother began to hurl four letter words at him, exasperated with having to help him read words he was struggling to read. My heart was broken as my daughter recounted the events, and I just wanted to run to Joey and hug him and tell him God has a plan for his life.

Similarly, one of our piano instructors let me know she had to reschedule lessons because she was dealing with a crisis. She is a counselor in the day, and teaches in the evening. One of the kid she counsels attacked his foster parent and she was involved in trying to calm the aituation

At the beginning g of this pandemic, I expressed that my concern for the societal effects of this situation far exceed the effects of the disease itself. This is a reality that many people are blind to… while we’re masking up and sanitizing our hands, we’re beginning to look at others with one eyebrow raised, judging by them for the way in which they are dealing (or not) with the risk of virus. With our masks on, we no longer “look” people in their eye… and move coldly through the market, picking up only that which is essential.

Advertisements flood our minds with slogans like “be home, be safe”, which assumes everyone’s home is as safe as those making the mandates. Sadly, however, this is not necessarily the case.

Suicide rate in Japan has quadrupled…. anxiety is through the roof. We are living in unprecedented times but times of darkness.

In this Christmas season. I want to share the reason for my hope. It’s not in a vaccine, or in a new president. It’s not in my security. It’s in my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who came to this earth to bring hope and light to a dark world. It is through Him throat we can find peace amid chaos.

I prayed for Joey this morning, and for his mom… that they would find peace this Christmas… the peace that comes from the Father. I pray for all of the Joeys out there today, struggling with the stresses of this day.

Christ has been born! Alleluia and amen. He has come to heal the broken.

Broken and yours,

SB