Back to School

After a full (and tiring) week of travelling more than I'm used to, I was ready for a return to routine. Our 4th quarter of school started the first week back and I was quickly overwhelmed as I looked to the future. This year has passed so quickly, and now there are only 10 weeks left before June. Last year, the 4th quarter felt very rushed because there are so many extra events on our school calendar – creating yearbook pages, Spirit Days, Spring Festival, dinners, graduations (Pre-school, Kindergarten & 8th grade) and trying to wrap everything up before the end of year. It's also when I start to feel pressure to make sure I cover all the information the students are supposed to learn, while keeping them motivated as the school year stretches out even as days brighten and beckon us outside. And then at the end of it all, there are final exams to create and final exams to grade (but praise the Lord I only have 9 students!). I quickly became overwhelmed when I focused on these lists of “things to do.” Then, I was reminded that “Each day has enough trouble of its own.” I was worrying about the future, instead of just looking to God for the strength I needed for each day. In my anxiousness, I was forgetting that 4th quarter is also dotted with Japanese and American holidays (one almost every 2 weeks), which somehow bring balance to an otherwise hectic season. I am writing this on April 17, almost four full weeks into the quarter, and I haven't felt overwhelmed since we started 3 weeks ago. So far, all those worries weren't worth worrying!