Lessons During a Pandemic with Savannah Watson

At Slater Baptist, we believe that the Lord is using this worldwide crisis to teach each of us something. This series of blogposts is a space for our members to share what they have learned through these difficult circumstances. This post is from Savannah Watson.

What has the Lord taught you in the midst of this pandemic?

Proverbs 3:5 states, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.” If this Covid-19 pandemic has taught me anything it would have to be to relinquish control. I am a planner and I find much joy/comfort in to-do lists and being able to follow a schedule. I am even tempted to get disappointed when plans change last minute or I’m not able to check everything off my to-do list in a day.

Well as I’m sure you are aware, following a set schedule and making to-do lists has not been the easiest thing to do these past few months. Multiple aspects of my life have changed, as I’m sure you can relate. One in particular was my job. If you don’t know, I am a K4 teacher at a daycare in Greenville SC. When the pandemic began, many of the children at my school got pulled out and we were running very few numbers. This meant that I went from a class of 12 to about 2 or 3 kids. Because of this, we had to combine some classes which meant I had to completely change how I taught. Honestly, I didn’t know from day to day what was in store for me when I walked in the doors of my daycare and it was a little unsettling for my planner brain.

And that’s OKAY! God did not create us to know every little detail. You want to know why? Because He already knows everything. He calls us to trust in Him in all things and let Him take care of the things that we don’t know/can’t control. Now if you are anything like me, this can be difficult at times. In my sinfulness, I am prone to try to control every aspect of my life. I cross all my T’s and dot all my I’s to try to make everything feel comfortable in the ordered life I try to make for myself.

But no matter how much I plan, I still am not God. I cannot plan my life just so that I never hit a bump in the road or come to something unexpected. Everything that has come about because of Covid-19 can attest to that. I must relinquish my selfishness and trust God to lead me where He wants me to go. Now don’t hear me saying planning is a bad thing or I need to just sit until God gives me a sign to do something. We are called to service and as believers we should strive to glorify God in all that we do. Planning becomes a problem when sticking to your set plan hinders your relationship with God.

My prayer for us, myself included, is that we would wholeheartedly trust the Lord in all things. We cannot allow our sinfulness and our desire for control to hinder our reliance on God. We are called to be wise in how we steward our lives but we must not allow this stewardship to become a means to be the puppet master of our own life. That’s God’s job and I sure am glad that is the case!