The Rhythm of Life

For over forty years my life has moved to the rhythm of the school year.  The excitement of September, those wonderful Christmas holidays, the drudgery of winter, the beauty of spring, and the much needed summer break.  And once finished, it would start all over again.  It was a rhythm that was dependable and comforting.  It was life.

In a few short weeks, that rhythm will be disrupted.  Students will bolt out of the building on June 10 with teachers close behind.  But unlike other years, I will not  welcome them back in the fall.  By September, I will have moved on in preparation for the next stage in my unpredictable life.  I will be adjusting to the beat of a new drum, a new rhythm.

Will it be as dependable?  Will it be as comforting?  Only time will tell, I guess.  But this I do know: God is dependable, and God is comforting.  Why should I be afraid?  Whom should I fear?  If our God is for us, then what could stand against?  Surely not the things of the world, nor the unseen powers above or below.  Our God is our Rock, our ever present help in times of trouble.  We all face times when we must step out in faith, unsure of what lies ahead, yet we can be perfectly sure of who is in control.  As we all move ahead, no matter the circumstances or the outlook, remember and tightly hold onto that truth.  In it we will find the true rhythm of life.

A Concert for the Ages

I love music.  I know, not everybody loves music, and I'm OK with that.  But I think I am in pretty good company, since it seems clear that God likes it too.  After all, he created it!  One of the really neat things about music is that it can stir your emotions even when not professionally done.  This is different from, let's say, getting a new roof put on.  Sideways shingles installed at a bargain rate look bad, and more importantly, don't keep the water out.  Music, on the other hand, can be performed by kindergartners or professionals, and while not of the same quality, the effect can be quite similar.  When I hear music, something is triggered inside me that makes me smile. I don't know why - it just is.  When I heard our choir, band, and string club perform at our recent concert, the music touched me down deep inside.  Of course, there were some misplaced notes and wayward pitches. I heard them, and maybe you did too.  But the overall effect was the same. I left somehow different than I came (and that's a good thing!).

Isn't it somehow the same when we work with kids?  We should know by now (it is the middle of May, afterall) that the "music" our kids produce will not always be worthy of Carnegie Hall.  But it doesn't have to be.  We expect our students to develop and use their God-given talents to the best of their abilities, for the glory of God, and for the advancement of His kingdom.  That won't look the same for everyone, will it?  Some will indeed compose and perform beautiful music, while others will struggle to stay on key, and in the end may not even be successful with that.  But we still love them and do our best to encourage them to use the talents they have been given in His service.  Let's listen to the music our kids produce not with an ear for perfection, but with a heart of love, understanding, and encouragement.  Now that would be a concert for the ages!

A New Journey

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. James 1:27

Like each of you, I have a past. My past has shaped who I am and will in many ways shape my future. Nine years ago, while living in Kampala, Uganda, God began a work in my heart. It all started with a tiny, sickly little eight month old baby who was dying from malnutrition and several other life threatening illnesses. This little child somehow fell into the arms of my wife and my oldest daughter, who one day carried her compassionately into our home to offer the care that was necessary to keep her alive. That one day changed my life forever, only I didn't know it at the time.

To say that I was not planning to have more children would be a great understatement. When Stacy asked if I would consider adopting this little girl I grew anxious and even bitter. This was not my plan! Over the next few weeks I struggled with this decision, but all along I knew that I was not struggling with a mere decision; I was struggling with God, his Word, and his will for my life. Pure and faultless religion is looking after orphans.... God placed this needy child in my care. How could I say anything but yes? It was only the beginning of the work God would do in my heart.

Soon after, he would bring another orphan baby into our home, and we began the adventurous task of raising a “second” family. I was not surprised by this turn of events. But then God began to do something that did surprise me; he began to melt my heart and re-mold it into a heart for orphans and for children in distress. He gently pursued me with the overwhelming need to care for “the least of these.” My heart began to weep with emotion brought on by the needs of children growing up under the crushing weight of poverty, disease, and abandonment. And finally, he looked at my restless heart and said “This is who I have made you to be. This is what I have prepared you to do. Now go and do it.”

And so we go.  God has called us back to Africa to help meet the needs of the orphans and vulnerable children of Uganda. It is a daunting challenge, and I would not be honest if I said that the transition would be easy. We are aware of some of the difficulties that lie ahead, yet we rest in his unfailing promises.  We must follow God's lead, wherever that might take us. Singer/songwriter Josh Wilson reminds us of our responsibility to respond in his song I Refuse,

I don’t want to live like I don’t care. 
I don’t want to say another empty prayer.
Oh, I refuse to
sit around and wait for someone else
To do what God has called me to do myself.
Oh, I could choose not to move, but I refuse.

I couldn't agree more!

Daily Bread

I have recently begun to start my days with a simple prayer from Matthew 6:11: "Give us this day our daily bread."  As I go through the daily struggles of life, I find myself looking behind, as if I can change what has happened in the past, or looking forward,  as if I might be able to help God get it right the next time around.  Jesus told us to look to God each day for what we need.  We tend to get overwhelmed with our perceived future needs and forget that we don't yet need our bread for tomorrow; today's bread will do just fine.  I have started praying a similar prayer for our school as well.  "Lord, give us exactly what we need today.  We'll check back with you tomorrow with our next list of needs."  Jesus made it clear later in Matthew 6 that he will take care of us one day at a time; after all, tomorrow, he said, will bring a whole new set of worries.  Why fret over those today?  Instead, we must let God be our provider today, and then remember this profound truth every day for the rest of our lives.   By doing so, we will understand much more clearly the fact that it is God who provides for our needs, not we ourselves.   Let him do what he has promised to do.  As the words of an old Keith Green song remind us, "Just keep doing your best, and pray that it's blessed, and He'll take care of the rest!"

The Right Foundation

In Matthew 7:24-28 we read the familiar story of the foolish man who built his house on sand and watched as it crumbled at the onset of the first big storm, and the wise man who built his house on the rock and was able to relax as the thunder rolled and lightning flashed.  The difference between the two houses is clearly the foundation.  Is it strong enough to hold when the storms of life come?  In Sunday School, if you asked the kids what that foundation is, they would of course say "Jesus!"  And they would be right.

Why is it then, that in a school, even a Christian school, we sometimes forget who the real foundation is?  The foundation that we build our lives on is not education, books, wisdom, or any kind of success, whether it be academic, athletic, social, or financial.  The foundation that we build our lives on is a relationship with Jesus Christ in which he is our Savior and Lord and we are simply his.  If we do everything else well but fail to build this foundation, then we must either close our doors or remove the word Christian from our name.  So, in the end, as a Christian school we have two incredibly important responsibilities: to lay a foundation for our students which will not wash away, and to convince our students to build their houses on that foundation.  The words of the old Sunday School song come to mind:

So, build your house on the Lord Jesus Christ
Build your house on the Lord Jesus Christ
Build your house on the Lord Jesus Christ
And the blessings will come down.

Grab your hammer and saw!  We've got some building to do!