Each fall teachers and students get to have a fresh start. After a summer break it’s a chance to reset, make new goals and try again (no matter how tough the last year was). I work in a county that begins school after Labor Day weekend, so in just a few days students and teachers will fill the hallways of schools in our area.
On this day I will begin my ninth year as a special education teacher. For me this is truly a new beginning as I have been in the high school setting for eight years teaching history and will now be in elementary school with 4th and 5th graders. New beginnings can be welcoming and exciting, but also a little scary. Immediately after accepting the new position, fear started to creep into my thoughts.
What if I fail? What if I don’t make any new friends? What if I made the wrong choice?
Whatever the new beginning is- a new house, job, school or relationship, we can find ourselves filled with doubt. Suddenly our excitement can turn to thoughts like these.
We can find reassurance in the Bible and rest knowing that God is with us.
“Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you” (Deuteronomy 31:8)
Isn’t it nice to know that God knows what we need and when we need it? We can turn to Him when we are unsure and ask Him for guidance. New beginnings can be daunting because it may require more work in the beginning. We can become stressed and fearful that we won’t get everything done, but God has an answer for that too:
“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done” (Philippians 4:6)
So next time fear, doubt or your to-do list try to squash your excitement for a new beginning, remember to turn to the one who loves you the most. He is watching and waiting to cheer you on every step of your journey.
Tracey Casciano
Tracey is a passionate speaker and writer ready to shine a light for Jesus. She shines that light through encouraging words as a blogger, speaker, and writer to help others who may be suffering or doubting themselves on their current path in life. After a childhood with an alcoholic mother and abusive father, her love for the Lord helped rise above her past. She describes this in her book, “Out of the Darkroom, Into the Light: A Story of Faith and Forgiveness After Child Abuse.” She is happily married and in the midst of raising four wonderful sons. Tracey has a background in Special Education, has taught History in public high school for eight years, and has been a missionary in Guatemala and the Dominican Republic.
What a great attitude toward change! Best wishes on your new role with the wee ones. God’s plan for you is a great one. Revel in it — one educator to another. 😀