Dear High School Student,

Over the past several weeks, you have held out hope that you may be able to finish up the school year at school, but now your fears are confirmed – you will finish out the school year at home. You have already been immersed in distance learning for several weeks, and that will now continue throughout the month of May. Your world feels a little extra rocked today. 

You know there is a global health crisis going on and you care deeply about those whose lives are affected in big ways, but the ways your life has changed probably have little to do with your health. You have had to stay home. No hanging out with friends, no extracurricular activities, no church or youth group or shopping or anything. And even if you have had to stay home from time to time before, even the staying home looks different. No professional sports games or your favorite late-night TV show and no one is coming over. What’s more, you may have already eaten all the good snacks from the pantry.

No person is unaffected by this crisis (except maybe that mountain man who lives in Alaska with the Grizzly bears), but that doesn’t make your disappointment easier, does it? You may be a senior who had high hopes of getting recruited by your favorite college or a junior whose ACT is postponed indefinitely which is really messing with your timeline. You may be a sophomore who had landed a big part in the school play that is now canceled or a freshman whose driver’s ed class will be rescheduled for . . . someday. Prom is canceled. AP exams will go online and only cover content from the first three-fourths of the school year. Really hard to swallow is the loss of the spring sports season. And what about summer sports? And who knows what’s happening with grades? And graduation? You won’t even go there. The unknowns seem to be greater than what is known right now.

There is certainly enough uncertainty to warrant some worry, sadness, fear, and frustration. Just because everyone is facing some type of loss doesn’t make it easier for you. You had great plans, and now you feel alone and like your life has been temporarily canceled. At least you hope it’s temporary, but you really don’t. When will you know? You may have been told that you’re being dramatic or selfish or to just get over it, but you’re not sure how to do that. The reality is you want to temporarily regress to toddlerhood and stamp your feet or have an all-out tantrum.

Thankfully, there is hope. Of course, there is always the hope that your circumstances will change sooner than you think they will. Wouldn’t it be nice if this virus were wiped out tomorrow and everyone could get back to normal lives by next week? Unfortunately, that probably won’t happen. So what hope is there? There is hope in the God of all hope. He is still in control. He knows what will happen today, tomorrow, and next month. He always has a plan. He is not only the powerful Creator of the universe, but He loves you. He has plans for you. He works for your good. It may not feel like it right now, but thankfully, walking with God is so much more than feelings. The Bible is full of direction for how to walk through challenging times. 

Choose peace. Give all your worries to God. Philippians 4:6&7 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” 1 Peter 5:7 says, “Cast all your cares on him because he cares for you.” Give it all to God. He doesn’t ask you to try to carry it all by yourself. And then in the midst of uncertainty, you can enjoy His peace.

Find new ways to be social. Hebrews 10:24-25 says, “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another . . .” But how can you meet if you can’t meet? Get creative. Facetime a friend (even study together) or family member (especially the ones who are alone – chances are, they are lonely), set up a Zoom call, message your friends to tell them you’re thinking of them, call your grandma . . . 

Grow in your relationship with Jesus. Treat this extra time as a gift of time to go deeper in your relationship with Jesus. Start a prayer journal by writing down everyone you know and then praying for them. Commit to reading through the entire Bible. Join an online Bible study. Listen to your favorite worship songs or find some new ones. Memorize some verses to help you get through this time. 

Be thankful. The Bible says, “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). When you choose to look for the good even when times are hard, it changes your attitude and gets you out of that pit of despair. There’s an old song called “Count Your Blessings” that encourages you to do just that:

Look for how you can serve others. “Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Philippians 2:4b). Getting your mind off your circumstances and onto others often turns things around. How can you serve others? That seems a little um, impossible since you can’t really see others, but there are things you can do. Sew some masks, write encouraging messages for your neighbors on the sidewalk with chalk, offer to pray for specific requests on your social media accounts, etc.

There is no doubt this time is really, really, REALLY difficult. But rest assured, God is with you and He is on the move. Trust Him. Follow Him. Have your full-out toddler-sized tantrum, but then get up and start looking for the good even in a difficult situation.

You’ve got this.