Ride Out the Storm

By Dr. Marcia Davis-Dawkins

Let no one keep you from your journey. – Mark Nepo

Life’s journey can be very interesting and we simply have to make the best of each day. While on our journey, we have great days and not so great days. We encounter sunny days, windy, snowy and even stormy days. The stormy days are the most challenging, especially if the storm comes at night and, worse yet, if we are alone. It is then that time seems to stand still and last forever. What we must remember, however, is that often the darkest times can bring us to the brightest places, and that our most painful struggles can grant us the most necessary growth. What seems like a curse at that moment can actually be a blessing, and what seems like the end of the road is actually just the discovery that we are meant to travel down a different path. There is always hope and no matter how powerless we may seem, we can’t give up. We have to resolve to keep going, no matter how scary, even when it seems as if all our strength is gone. We have to keep picking ourselves up and move forward through whatever we are battling at the moment, even if it’s only inches at a time, one foot in front of the other, because we never know what is around the bend.

Faith Isn’t a Feeling

As educators we have days when we feel as if we are not reaching the students, even when we try everything possible to motivate them. We have to persevere and hope that somehow we will meet the needs of at least one student. We can make a difference by just pressing onward. Each school year brings with it new challenges, new students, and new experiences. But it also brings renewed hope. I believe that when we go through our seasons of doubts, we can use the experiences to rethink and that each setback teaches wisdom. That wisdom is not always easy to come by. We will get frustrated, shed some tears and doubt if we should even continue trying. It’s fine to break down, but we must do it with the understanding that we will come out the other end a little smarter, a little stronger, and a whole lot more prepared. A bad situation is only permanent if we THINK it is. If we think we’ve reached our limits, then we have. If we think things will never get better, then they won’t. It’s imperative that we change our thinking. We must painstakingly examine everything that’s holding us back, each and every obstacle, and realize that each of these limitations is just temporary. We are the ones capable of bringing about change and we can keep going long after we think we can. That determination and conviction coupled with faith will lead the way. We can be encouraged by Dave Willis, who said, “Faith isn’t a feeling. It’s a choice to trust God when the road ahead seems uncertain.”

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Nepo