I trust God.

I trust many folks I know.  They have let me down on few if any occasions.  I love them all and they know, whether if they are at arm’s length or a phone call or a text away that I will be there for them.  No questions asked.  I am blessed that way.  I pray you are too.

Today I came across a rock.  Lord knows we all could use more solid rocks.  The rock I found was the most solid rock I know.

I was hired as a school counselor at Paoli Jr-Sr High School on March 13.  Only the last two weeks have I been in the building in an official capacity. We know why.  Know also that I appreciate all my colleagues and truly believe I am where I need to be to help a school and everyone in it.  Be it students, teachers, administrators, assistants, cooks, custodial staff, coaches, parents, I have tried to indicate I am there to help.  That is why I walked into the building.

Normally I walk into a different entrance than I walked into today.  But I walked into what is called the main entrance, I suppose.  It is marked as entrance 1.  After football practice, which I was able to attend today, I headed to my office to try to make some head way on the daunting task that is rolling out a new school year in the age of Covid-19.  Never been there and never done that before this year.  Hope we never have to do it again.

But I walked into this entrance.

In the left hand corner of the door facing you can see an  aqua colored object.  It is a rock.  It is a solid rock.  It has this on it:

Such words were never so needed walking into a school building.

I know these words well.

This scripture has been in my guitar case for more than twenty years on this very note card.  When I first started playing and singing, I was a nervous wreck ready to walk out the door if I could.  I didn’t.  I leaned and rested and was held up by this solid rock.  Thanks be to God.

I didn’t think I would ever need the same rock so much again.

As an educator, I turn my head sideways at plans I hear to open schools.

I get it.  The show must go on.  Folks need to work.  I know that.  I do.

I also know that restaurants are being held to limitations.  The Indy 500 is being held with little or no attendance.  Baseball games are played OUTDOORS with no fans.  Beaches have been cleared.  But here we go.  Fill the schools.  This is why I recently made a last will and testament out.

I wish I had the answer.  If I did, no one would listen.  Common sense is hard to come by these days, especially in the political realm.

I commented earlier this week that I am afraid the current presidential administration is gambling with an over/under number when it comes to deaths they can give and still find re-election in November.  I hope I am wrong.  Any one who has paid any attention to how this country has handled this pandemic would certainly have a license to argue that.  Turning off the TV and washing your hands can only get you so far, as has been suggested.

For those keeping score, I am a frustrated Republican who remembers when the other side did most of the whining.  Apologies to my liberal friends I never thought I would find so much common ground with.

But in spite of all of that, we press onward.  We do what we think is best for our kids, family, and friends.  I just hope we all live to tell the story.  The story is bound to get better.  It has to, doesn’t it?

Thankfully there is a solid rock that is greater than any pillar of sand trying to stand up on earth.

Thanks be to God.

Speaking the rights…

Danny Johnson