It all started with an unexpected email on a Friday afternoon…

After processing the vague request from my principal to meet with her the following Monday morning—along with representation—my blood pressure began to rise. I immediately went into defensive mode and started racking my brain for anything I might have done to warrant this meeting. Then, I drafted a response to her email…

However, through the grace of God, I was able to take a deep breath, pause, and remember Whom I serve. Instead of sending the drafted email to my principal, I sent it to Christian Educators, asking for wisdom and prayer. 

I hadn’t reached out to CE about anything like this before. But I had recently learned about the many benefits available to CE members, and, feeling completely overwhelmed, I figured it was worth trying. If I’m being honest, I thought they might think I was overreacting to a minor situation. Instead, the response I received completely changed my understanding of what it means to be part of the CE community.

Within two hours, a CE Educational Consultant called me. The first thing we did was pray together. Shortly after, I was able to compose and send a response email to my principal that sounded very different from my original draft. 

Then, I called my trusted Christian colleague and asked her to pray with me. Slowly, I began to shift from defensiveness to trusting in the Almighty God Whom I serve…

I prayed a lot over the weekend—individually, with trusted Christian friends, and members of my CE network. Truthfully, I was tempted many times to allow my mind to spiral and be filled with the “what-ifs” as I had done many times before. But every time I resisted and turned to God in prayer, He reminded me that no matter what my principal says about me, it doesn’t change how He sees me. He knows who I am. He knows my character. He knows who He has created me to be. And He already knew about this meeting long before the email ever appeared in my inbox.

When I arrived at school on Monday morning, I learned that the meeting was postponed until Wednesday. Instead of worrying as I typically may have done, I saw this as an opportunity for me (and others) to pray even more. 

I continued to lean on my community and submit my fears and doubts to God. I spoke the truth about who God says I am. And I began to do the same for my principal. I thought about how we all come from wounded places, but God sees past all that woundedness and deep into our hearts. He sees who we really are. And just as He calls me beloved, He calls my principal beloved. I also prayed for the meeting and for the testimony of redemption that would come out of this experience. 

None of this changed my circumstances, but it did change my heart… 

The meeting with my principal wasn’t easy. There were accusations made about me that were untrue. My character and even my behavior in the building were called into question. It was uncomfortable and, at times, painful. But instead of responding defensively, I chose a posture of curiosity and prayer. I remained steadfast in knowing that I am loved by God…and so is my principal. 

If I had not been confident in my identity in Christ and covered in prayer by my community, I think the whole situation would have turned out very differently. There was no way for me to prove that I had not said what she had heard, but I was able to point back to my own character and history. I was able to speak about the times I have brought life to the building. And I was able to point out that much of what was being shared was actually hearsay presented as fact.

I can’t say the meeting ended perfectly or that my principal trusted everything I said. But I can say God was there, and I felt a peace that surpasses all understanding. I experienced a sense of freedom that allowed me to be more honest and open with my principal. And I didn’t get caught up in trying to defend myself because I serve a God who goes before me. 

In the end, we left with a solution. It isn’t the solution I would have come up with, but I was able to see it as an answer to prayer. My friend who sat in the meeting with me also saw it as an answer to prayer. We both walked out feeling amazed at how God had intervened. 

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Most days, and especially when facing false accusations, it’s easy to feel isolated or alone. The enemy likes to fill us with fear and make us feel defeated. But we aren’t alone, and we aren’t defeated. Instead, as believers, we are part of the Kingdom of God. And the work God is doing in and through us is so much greater than the circumstances we face here on Earth.  

For me, realizing this changed everything.  

In the beginning, I wanted to defend myself and fix things through my own strength. I’m thankful for my trusted Christian friends and the CE community that pointed me to the Almighty God we serve. They reminded me that God created me to be a light to the world. They reminded me of the beautiful things that God has done in my life. They helped ground me in the truth that God is my defender; He is for me, not against me; no weapon formed against me will prosper; and no matter the circumstance, God is with me because I am His. And even though I already knew and believed those things, it helped to lean into the strength and faith of my community of believers to anchor me in His truth. 

This experience reminded me that Christian community is not a bonus—it is a lifeline. God met me through the prayers of trusted friends, the support of Christian Educators, and the peace only He can provide. 

When challenges come, don’t carry them alone. Reach out, stand firm in your identity in Christ, and trust the One who goes before you.