The Lutheran High School of Kansas City's Applied Christianity Class will be providing devotions for use during your daily Bible time. Today's Devotion is particularly for the Class of 2020.
Dear Seniors
Senior year is supposed to be the best year in high school. You’re at the top of the food chain. You’re the oldest, (maybe not the wisest) but certainly the coolest. You get special privileges, and go on awesome trips. Unfortunately you have to be present at school to be able to experience these. Two weeks ago I was on my way to a really special volleyball tournament and to a family vacation in Colorado fully aware of the situation around the world.
An unthinkable thought roamed in my head for hours on the long car ride out west. I was starting to imagine my senior year cancelled over a flu. After five hours of a quiet ride through Kansas, I watched in horror as the NBA cancelled its entire 2019-2020 season due to two players testing positive for Covid-19. A couple hours later, the NHL cancelled their season, along with the MLB postponing the season. I was completely shocked. My parents began reading comments out loud regarding a potential cancellation of the large volleyball tournament in Denver. Early the next morning we finally arrived in Denver only to hear bad news. The entire tournament was cancelled minutes after we arrived. Shocked and tired we slept at a hotel. Nine hours later we left for the long trek home. After hearing the news about the tournament being cancelled I started to worry about our music tour and our prom being cancelled, also. I tried to rethink the idea of music tour being cancelled because many of us have been waiting all year to go on the trip. I was unbelievably excited to attend my final music tour. And then it was cancelled.
We seniors have been through quite a bit. A lot of us were born before or after the terrorist attacks on September 11th, 2001, and now we are living through a pandemic. Life may feel awful at the moment, many of us may not get to see our families for a while, we might not have a normal graduation or a senior prank! We deal with a lot in this world, however Job dealt with situations we can’t possibly comprehend. Job is one of my absolute favorite books of the Bible. Job showed us a great model of what we should all look like in the face of the storms and tragedies of this life. Of course, he is human and he did realize his faults at the end of the book, but his reactions to the death and suffering around him just amaze me! If you have never read through the entire book of Job I encourage you to check it out. Job 42:2, 5-6 “I know that You can do all things, and that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted. I had heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You, therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes.” The ending gives me goosebumps every time. When God shows up to speak, the real meaning of the book comes alive.
Dear seniors, everything will be okay, we may not have a normal graduation, we may not have a prom, we won’t be going on music tour, and we may not get to pull our senior prank, but God is in control. He has always been in control and will continue to be. Spend this next month with your families at home. Play some board games and remember that everything is temporary.
Seniors… Stay strong, our best years, years to truly remember, are yet to come.
Prayer
Lord, we ask for your guidance today as we set out for better opportunities than yesterday. Do not let us stray from your path for You are our Shepherd, Lord. Let Your staff prevent us from any error and let Your eyes watch over us and protect us from all danger. You're the only God and no matter is too big for You, Lord. We ask that you continue to be with Eli Ransburg, Miss. Mikeska’s mother Suzan, and Mrs. Meier’s sister Barbara Wollberg. We ask that you bless the Gloe family and continue to be with KC Gloe through the next few months as his cancer surgery will soon be upon him, and please be with everyone affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Amen.