According to Merriam-Webster’s definition, quarantine means to put or hold in isolation to prevent the spread of disease. Since folks in Wisconsin are in “quarantine,” many have taken up various hobbies such as; putting puzzles together, cooking and baking, playing games, exercising, and one family even created an 18-hole mini golf course throughout their house.

I have chosen to catch up on some reading. My first book, “Calm My Anxious Heart,” seemed fitting during this specific time.  As I listen to what is going on in our country, state, county, I am filled with some anxiety. How long will schools be closed? Will I even have a job after this is over? How is this going to affect my family? How can I best support my family and teachers?  But why should I feel anxious when I know that I serve a God who loves and cares for me? Peter writes some comforting advice in 1 Peter 5: 6 & 7, “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time; casting all your anxiety upon Him, because he cares for you.” To me that means I can unload all my anxieties and cares on God because He cares for me personally. But is that something easy to do… give up our anxieties? Matthew 6:34 tells us not to be anxious because God will take care of your tomorrow. So this is reinforcing yet again that I do not need to be anxious and worry, God has me covered today and tomorrow.

So, now that I realize that God cares about me and will take care of my anxieties, what can we do to help our children and students not to be anxious??? Each day we must think how God is blessing and watching out for us. Have your children or students find an empty jar or food container around their house. Decorate the container. Label it “God’s Blessings.”  Every day, during family worship, think of blessings God has given that day. Write the blessings on a strip of paper and put them in the container. At the end of the quarantine, have the students or your children take the blessings out of the container and read through the blessings God provided.

How many of our minutes, hours, and days are spent worrying about things that are not in our control? Give them up to Jesus today! As one of my teachers in Milwaukee told her students in their first week of distance learning, “We serve a big God, He is in control.”

Let us show our children and students this week who is in control of our lives and leave our anxieties with Him.

Sue Nelson, Superintendent of Education