Choosing Joy "These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full." John 15:11 I am sitting in my new favorite graduate school “get work done” location, yet I am not getting the work done. My grandmother’s chair is a pretty yellow, and that was one of her favorite colors. It’s like a golden hug from Memama. Only a moment ago, I heard a few geese honking. Or I imagined I heard it. At this point, it is all the same. No matter what I heard or did not hear, I paused. I just learned that a grad school homework assignment had been changed Wednesday. I did the old assignment. Time to start over. Sigh. Graduate school- be careful what you wish for because you just may get it. I wished for it and I do love it; however, I did not prepare myself for the intensity of doing work online. I’m referring to all the reading papers online, submitting documents through various portals, uploading and downloading and generally getting befuddled between messages from WhatsApp, Canvas, and emails that announce everyone’s submissions- ahead of me of course- of correct homework that is due. Note. There is a real pressure of seeing email alerts and hearing the beep of my phone as people submit work in advance. (No, I don’t know how to turn off any of those notifications and now I don’t have time to figure it all out because I have to redo my assignment.) This is not my first time in graduate school, so I thought a specialist program would not be too stressful. Yep- that’s what I thought. The blessing in all of it is that I get to work with teachers from all over Georgia.. These educators are the real deal. This is however my first time in graduate school during a pandemic. Throughout my zoom classes this week, I talked with struggling educators to find out how other programs are operating through this crisis. #1 Her school went from virtual to hybrid, phasing in different grades over coming weeks. #2 Her school postponed opening until September. #3 His school has always been virtual. #4 Her school is fully open with extensive measures to prevent spread of Covid. My school went from hybrid to virtual. Every single one of these educators is stressed beyond belief because “this” is different than in March, and expectations to get it right are higher. Stupid Covid. It divides, disrupts, and separates. The only thing I know to do to fight Stupid Covid is to eat fruit. A lot of fruit. You can pick up the best variety at fruit stand called Galatians 522. Fruit of the Spirit. I actually wrote FS everywhere I could this week so that I had a constant visual reminder to choose love, joy, peace, forbearance (ability to endure what is difficult without complaining), kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Choose any one of these fruits or put them all together in a fruit salad. The point is to choose His fruit over hate, misery, chaos, impatience, rudeness, evil, treachery, harshness, or lack of restraint and exasperation. Nothing comes naturally during Stupid Covid, but I am grateful for precious friends who have lifted me up, reminded me to choose wisely, and helped me when I needed it. Like that French cab driver in 1991. Whether intentional or not, this cab driver was gracious when he could have been rude. I was nineteen and in Europe for the summer with Auburn Abroad. What were my parents thinking? I enjoyed four glorious weeks in Paris plus three unforgettable weeks crisscrossing Europe with friends, my mom’s credit card, and an unlimited Eurail pass. If you are imagining scenes from Taken, don’t bother. It was more like European Vacation. No, I did not own a back pack. The day my friends and I left our Paris hotel-apartment to begin our adventure, I hauled half empty, full sized luggage to the nearest corner. I hailed a taxi to get us to the train station. I was thrilled to head off shopping across Europe. When I jumped in this typical Parisian taxi, I told the driver with my biggest smile, “Je voudrais aller à la guerre! Vite. Vite.” He burst out laughing, so I repeated myself a few times- never faltering in my excitement and even clapping my hands. When he was finally able to breathe, he said, “Gare… pas guerre… gare…Il n’y a pas de guerre ici.” Priceless. In my enthusiasm, I told this kind driver that “I would like to go to the WAR!” There is but one simple sound that distinguishes gare from guerre. I don’t remember that moment because I was embarrassed. I remember it because this taxi driver could have treated me with disdain and harshness. He didn’t. His choice to be kind, gracious, and generous with his laughter made the difference. He taught me. I learned that I needed to choose my words more wisely so I’ll get to a destination rather than a war. What I just heard might not have been geese honking after all. It could have been a bunch of frogs croaking in afternoon rain. I think I will choose to believe I heard geese. Here’s to my fellow teachers choosing joy whenever we can. Here’s to choosing more fruit.
1 Comment
Annabella
8/31/2020 08:25:40 pm
Such a great reminder! We do have a Choice!
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JoAnna Arnold
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