God Calls the Unqualified

During these uncharted territories that are growing in our world, many people are feeling fearful, anxious, and unqualified– and rightfully so. How do we help ourselves and one another get through such a huge pandemic as this? It’s a lot to think about and process all at once.

We are absolutely flooded with news posts and first-hand stories from our family members and friends who are on the front lines of this. It is heartbreaking, scary, and unnerving to see the suffering.

As educators, we are creating a new digital and online learning infrastructure that has never been done before at a scale like this. While families and kiddos at home are just as worried and scared as we are, while trying to simultaneously work from home and help their kiddos learn from home, too.

With all of this said, I have been reaching out to my friends, family members, and colleagues and we are all worried.

Worried that we:

• Aren’t doing enough
• Are not helping enough people
• Are not equipped to lead in a time such as this
• Don’t know what to do
• Unsure what to do next

All of these feelings are valid and normal when we as a world are experiencing trauma such as this. We are all experiencing it in our own ways.

I’ll be real here- I have had those same feelings that I wrote above, myself.

I am realizing that I cannot work past those very real feelings if I do not first boldly allow myself to feel them. What do I mean by this? I am talking about feeling them in an honest and authentic way, without completely beating myself up about it.

During the last couple of days, I have gotten into a better head space. I have a new affirmation. I have reminded myself that God uses everyone. Let me repeat that and let that flow out of my fingers as I type them again: God can use everyone for the greater good.

It is not that we are qualified to do anything on our own, our qualification and sufficiency comes from God and God alone.

As 2 Corinthians 3:5 shares, “Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God.”

We beat ourselves up for not doing enough, without realizing that we are doing oh, so much. Give yourself grace and honor the work you ARE doing to make a positive impact in the lives of those around you. That can and will look different for each of us, by the way.

For me, I have been doing the following things to lift my spirits:

• Used Marco Polo to video chat with my Aunts and my Mom
• Checked in with family and friends through text, Voxer, and the HouseParty app
• Checked in with multiple students of mine each day to see how they are, while putting building relationships FIRST
• Started a weekly video bible study to dive into His word in a time filled with anxiety

Keep in mind, I did all of those things over the course of a week, not in a day. Keep it small and simple, then grow from that as you feel comfortable. In a time of overwhelm, do not overwhelm yourself more than necessary (I need to read this to myself every day).

Take of you, and take care of others in a way that moves you. Be confident that you were called to serve in such a time as this.

Be confident that you were called to serve in such a time as this.

Most of us have no idea what we are doing now, truly. Don’t be ashamed. We are figuring it out as we go and leaning into our community for love, kindness, and compassion.

Remember these words:

Do what you can with what you have.

You were made for a purpose

God called you.

And, you, my dear and beautiful friend, are 100%, definitely, and most wonderfully qualified.

Be well and full of grace,