“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. ”
Many of you know that I work at Western Carolina University. I have two contracts with them. One is in the School of Music where I am the Vocal Director for an ensemble called the Catamount Singers. My other contract is with the School of Stage and Screen where I am the Staff Accompanist and also a Vocal Coach. With everything our nation is currently facing, the last two weeks have been a complete whirlwind at the university to say the least. Here’s a breakdown of our WCU timeline:
TUESDAY, MARCH 3rd.
We are told there was a possibility that following Spring Break (which was to start on 3/9), students would not be returning to campus for a period of two weeks and that classes would be transitioned to online only as a result of the COVID-19 virus that had overtaken the world.
MONDAY, MARCH 9th.
Day One of Spring Break. We we receive an email in which we are told that we should begin a more deliberate approach of figuring out how to transition to alternative online methods.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11th.
The University sends an email to both faculty and students (at the same time) stating that the UNC System has made the decision to suspend all face-to-face classes. We would be extending Spring Break by one week in order to give faculty and staff enough time to make the transition online courses.
THURSDAY, MARCH 12th.
Online plans set in motion for School of Music.
FRIDAY, MARCH 13th.
Online plans set in motion for School of Stage and Screen.
MONDAY, MARCH 16th.
Faculty meetings took place. Confirmed all online courses. School of Stage and Screen confirmed that I would still be getting paid because I was able to work remotely.
TUESDAY, MARCH 17th.
9:00am.
Spoke with my direct supervisor in the School of Music. Everything was set in place. We discussed my new project for my Catamount Singers. We were happy about it, we were excited. I was grateful that I was still going to be getting paid.
1:45pm.
The university sends out a message stating that everyone had to officially leave campus. Students weren’t going to return for the remainder of the semester, and they all had to be completely moved out by Saturday, March 21st. After that time, residence halls would be completely secured and students would not be allowed to retrieve their belongings.
1:50pm.
Received an email from the Department Chair stating independent contracts were being cancelled. The university considers the COVID-19 situation a force majeure and it is simply could no longer justify or even find it possible to pay those types of contracts for hourly employees.
I was one of those employees.
After talking to my mom, the first person I called was our amazing church secretary, Elaine. She’s one of those people that just knows what to say in any situation. As I cried to her on the phone I said, “I know God is in control, but sometimes it’s really hard to hold onto that hope when everything seems like it’s crashing down around you.”
But in that moment, God put a song in my heart. As I hung up the phone, I began to sing:
When I fear my faith will fail, Christ will hold me fast.
When the tempter would prevail, He will hold me fast
I could never keep my hold Through life’s fearful path
For my love is often cold, He must hold me fast
He will hold me fast, He will hold me fast
For my Savior loves me so, He will hold me fast
As I sang those words, I began to cry even harder. Because in the midst of hard times and uncertainty, doubt can creep in and shatter our hope. But even in the darkest of times, we continue to cling to hope because we are a people of hope, a people whose faith is marked by an expectation that we should always be ready for the coming of the Master.
Even as I wrote that last sentence, the final verse of He Will Hold Me Fast popped into my head:
Raised with Him to endless life, He will hold me fast
Till our faith is turned to sight When he comes at last
One day our faith will be turned to sight because one day He will return for us, and we will be united with our Savior for eternity. So it’s not just words that we proclaim.
Our words point to The Word.
And The Word has a name.
Hope has a name.
Joy has a name.
Peace has a name.
Love has a name.
And that name is Jesus Christ.
We have a true hope in Him, and we can rest well knowing that we are in the good hands of our Savior. Because even in the midst of uncertainty, His promises remain.
UPDATE, 3/18/2020 — My incredible Department Chair reached out to me to say that he was reinstating my contract and would approve me working remotely. THE POWER OF PRAYER IS REAL — as if we ever doubted anything less. God is good, always.
“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”