One Year of Change

My first photo in Indiana

It's amazing what all happens in a year.

One year ago today, I started this new journey - my new job at Cummins, my new home in Indiana, and not far removed from an adjustment to work-from-home life.  March 9, 2020, I got to go into the office, to meet all my coworkers and to start getting adjusted to this new life.

Jamie and the kids had not come up yet.  They would wait another week so Jamie could spend a little more time, see Wills Point's OneAct, and stay through her mom's birthday.  Splitting it also allowed us to drive both cars up.  I drove up first, would fly back and leave my car at the airport.  Then would drive back with Jamie the next week.  

For this first week in Indiana, I stayed at a Stay Alfred apartment just a few blocks away from the airport.  Got to walk downtown Indy for a bit, past Soldiers and Sailors Monument every day, and generally get to know the city.  Everything was still open at this point.

When we brought up Jamie and the kids, everything closed down.  Work from home and Zoom training.  We still didn't have a house at this point and spent a month in an AirBNB in Old Northside.  

In the months since, we've found out home to rent and have settled in very well.  We've found our hometown here in Brownsburg.  We've met and made friends with neighbors.  We've found our church and developed deep friendships with members of our church and our small group.

We've seen family and friends come up to visit, and we've shared a lot of good food we've found, and the aspects of this life we've come to love.  The trails and the walkability of the town.  The great bakeries.  Snow and sledding.  

We've laughed a lot, we've cried some, we've been stretched and we've grown a lot this year.  We've started our adoption journey, and have a lot a plans a head to travel when everything is open.

It's been a year of change and it has felt like a decade, but it has been a great year.

I can't wait to see what is ahead.

A Prayer for the Start of School

Though Avalyn started school two and a half weeks ago, I recognize many schools across the country are starting back now, or in the near future.  This year has made it very interesting to plan for a prayer for the start of school, because this year is so abnormal.  Some schools are going back though modified, some are starting virtually first, then planning to go back, others still are planning for both, not knowing exactly yet what they plan to do.  

It's in this environment I would like to offer a prayer for this 2020-2021 school year.  For the students, the parents, and the faculty involved.

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Dear Heavenly Father,

We come to you in a time of uncertainty and stress.  Facing a year that has already tested us and an upcoming school year which we are not prepared for.  A time in which we desperately want things to get back to normal, but recognize that it may not be for a long time yet.

It's in this environment in which we pray for, above all else, grace and mercy this year.

Lord may we find your grace, amazing grace, upon us.  May you protect us and guide us through this school year.  May you watch over all the students and keep them healthy and safe.  May you lead them to be kind to each other.  If nothing else, may they be kind.  May they wear their masks, may they learn to wash their hands well.  May they find a way to be friends and friendly even through social distancing.  May they listen to and help their teachers, not adding any additional stresses.  May their innocence and youth guide us through this difficult time.

May you watch over the teachers and grant them wisdom and patience.  May you give them grace in their interactions with their students. With parents who may not agree with the school's precautions.  With other faculty who might make things more challenging.  May they find joy, even in this chaos.  May they find the ability to give themselves grace when this year does not go as planned.  When everything changes on a daily basis.  May they give themselves permission to relax and let go.

May you watch over the parents who are trying to balance it all.  Praying that school continues to go forward, praying they don't have to work from home, make sure the kids are doing their school online and also try to get everything done around the house.  May they find grace in their interactions with teachers, recognizing they too are trying to figure out how to navigate this crazy time.  

May we all grant each other the grace to recognize that we're all trying our best in a very challenging situation.

May we be agents of grace in making someone else's day better, brighter in some small way.

May we be agents of your grace in finding the good, even now.

May we be merciful.

When school goes back to virtual after being open.

When the school gets its first case of COVID-19.

When it's just gotten to be too much.

May we be merciful.

And let us find you.

Let us find you in the ability for kids to play together for the first time.

Let us find you in the new resemblance of a routine.

Let us find you in a Zoom call.

At the dinner table after school is out.

In the pickup and drop off line.

Let us see you more clearly in this time.

For that is how we will get through it.

We thank you for all you have brought us through and we pray for your wisdom for this year.

In your most precious name,

Amen.