Pioneering a New School Year – Faith in the Unknown

Let’s talk about modern-day pioneering and faith in the unknown. Because there have been three big things that have put it on my mind lately, especially with the FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL being today.

Yes, of all days to start school, somehow July 23rd was the winner. It’s still 110 degrees and July for crying out loud. But I won’t dwell on that…we’re here and so grateful for all those teachers showing up to help pioneer this new year too!

A Pioneer Lesson at Church

Let’s back up to Sunday when I was in church. You know how sometimes you hear something and you feel this overwhelming feeling it was meant just for you?

That’s how I felt.

There was a talk about pioneering since the 24th of July is coming tomorrow. You see, in Utah that’s a big hoopla celebration day since it marks the day the pioneers for our church came into that Salt Lake valley. They were ragged from all kinds of hardships in their journey crossing the country. They sacrificed and lost so much. But they were triumphant with high hopes of making this new land their own.

The speaker at church talked about how those early pioneers didn’t know for sure what all their efforts and tribulations would lead to in this new land. But they “hoped for things which were not seen.” They had faith their efforts were not for naught.

They believed what they were doing could make a difference.

And I, as one of their progeny, am here to say that it did.

Yow, those ripple effects of their efforts are pretty overwhelming to see.

Pioneering a New School Year

The speaker talked about how we can be modern-day pioneers with our own efforts. Creating new pathways for the future. Hoping in a world we cannot see. And I immediately thought of Lucy pioneering her senior year. I thought of me and Dave trying to help her navigate it. I thought about us getting ready for the possibility of our own “new unknown land” of empty-nesting next year.

And I knew “pioneer” needed to be our “word” or “theme” for this new school year.

I came home and we had our Family Home Evening lesson all about that, and changed our “word” theme from “positive” last year to “pioneer” this year.

Through tears I spilled out my thoughts to our newly-arrived-back-to-the-desert “Three Musketeers” all about being pioneers.

We have so much unknown ahead of us. There is so much to have faith and hope for things which are not seen. We don’t know how this is all going to work out. We have so much work ahead of us.

But what we do know?

We can make it. Together. Especially if we let God into the journey.

Dave gave Lu a special pre-school Father’s blessing and there was a special spirit that filled that room right up.

Oh boy are we hoping for things that are not seen.

That we can pioneer through this new year and forge new pathways to help not only us, but the future.

A Devotional that hits on Pioneering

Just as all this pioneering thought has been filtering through my heart and mind, my We Believe devotional aired today. It is all about the scripture in where it talks about how “faith is not to have a perfect knowledge…ye hope for things which are not seen.”

I tell the story of my friend who is a member of Alcoholics Anonymous. I got to go to one of her “open meetings” with her. All those women in a circle trusting in just that: faith in things that are not seen.

Of a better world that lies ahead.

They are forging the way with their pioneering efforts.

Go listen on the app for more of that story.

We are all Pioneers

The word pioneer may seem like an old-fashioned word. I mean, the first thing that generally comes to mind when you think of that word is long dresses and bonnets, am I right?

But the definition of “pioneer” is “to open or prepare for others to follow.”

Isn’t that what we’re doing every day?

Whether we recognize it or not, our efforts today are forging pathways for tomorrow. Good or bad.

Whether it is starting a new business, having a new baby, trying to re-vamp life as a new empty-nester, trying to work our way out of deep, dark trenches, or simply trying to be a better person every day, we are pioneers.

Our efforts mean something.

They have power.

Sending out all the good vibes for everyone as we forge new paths. May we do things that pave the way of goodness for the next generation.

And if anyone can spare some extra prayers: send some on over to our pioneer Lucy. We met her mobility specialist yesterday to walk her classes:

She is forging her way, for the fourth and last time, through that high school trying to make a new path. A path that will lead her successfully to college next year.

Dave and I whipped up our traditional first-day-of-school rainbow pancakes for the last time after so many years.

And sent out Lucy for all of our last first day of school.

May the pioneer spirit keep us all going as we seek to gradually change the fiber of who we are with God’s help to fortify us in our efforts.