I Am Sad

Before we begin our weekly excerpt from “Called to the Classroom: Daily Reflections for Educators,” I want to acknowledge that this reflection may not have a “Motivational Monday” tone. As we have been journeying through the school year, Team Meline is following along with “Called to the Classroom” and this is the day we are on. I decided to post it because I don’t think we always begin our week feeling upbeat and motivated - I wish we did! So perhaps we are beginning the week with some realness, acknowledging that we are human and we come with a lot of different emotions. And that is okay.

“Jesus wept.” ~ John 11:35 (NIV)

In this short verse, we discover so much about who our Savior is. Our story from John’s Gospel is about Jesus’ good friend, Lazarus, who has died, and Jesus is grieving with Mary, Martha, and their relatives. The story ends with Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead – a miraculous, breakthrough miracle! So we may wonder, why is Jesus weeping? Doesn’t He know what He is about to accomplish? Surely He understands the capacity of His power. Jesus cries because, in that moment, He feels sad. He was overwhelmed by grief, and instead of running to the tomb to fix the problem, He allowed Himself to stay in that space of sadness and just feel. This is part of being human.

On some days, there is no other word to describe the feeling. We just feel sad. We may not even understand what prompted the feeling - why we are crying or why we cannot lift ourselves up from this low mood. We desperately want to feel joy and hope again, but it does not feel like our reality at this time.

As much as it may not sound helpful, I think it is okay to pause and be still in our moments of sadness. If we wake up in the morning and our hearts feel heavy before the day even begins, it may be helpful to name our sadness to God while listening to a meaningful song on our commute to work. At the end of a long day, we may give ourselves the grace to sit and have a quiet moment or a releasing cry. Acknowledging our humanness is an important step in showing empathy to others. We cannot show true compassion to those experiencing sadness without first embracing it ourselves.

May the Lord Bless You and Keep You:

Today, may you give yourself permission to feel.

In your joyful moments, may you feel blessed and excited to bless others!

When sadness surfaces and fills your heart, may the Holy Spirit bring grace and hold you in this time.

And may your empathy and understanding for others grow through your own experiences.

(From “Called to the Classroom: Daily Reflections for Educators” Day 105 - I Am Sad by Christina Meline)