Garner has starred in hit movies like 13 Going on 30, Dallas Buyers Club and in the television series Alias.

But Garner’s star status clearly has not made the mother of three children immune to sharing the same concerns as parents all over the world about their children’s education during a pandemic – not to mention a collective sense of gratitude for teachers who are carrying an extra load during this time.

“Thank you for the gifts and lessons of this summer. God bless teachers, faculty and administrators as they guide us through this big question mark of a school year. Bless the parents trying to make it all work. And the children who are learning to make the best of things in ways we couldn’t have predicted. Help us remember we hold each other in our hands. And please God, preserve our collective sense of humor. Amen,” wrote Garner.

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I regretfully admit that Garner’s Instagram prayer reminded me to pray for the teachers and parents in Australia, too – something I had no trouble remembering to do when my son was at home during lockdown!

While we may not be facing the same level of COVID outbreak as in the US, nonetheless Australian teachers have had make huge adjustments to keep our children safe while moving their education forward.

Schools have taken on a whole new workload in reshaping how things are done, such as restricting larger gatherings like assemblies and choir which have punctuated their daily schedules in the past. Last week I even attended my first ever online Zoom dance concert – and it was wonderful!

So today I’m humbling myself to admit that I have been reminded to pray by a movie star via Instagram, and I’m joining Jennifer Garner in a prayer for our teachers. Perhaps you would like to join us too?