Wednesday, August 10, 2016


Promises.

It's what a new school year is all about.

It starts with promises to myself.

  • I'll go to bed early.
  • I won't hit the snooze button.
  • I'll pack my lunch every day.
  • I'll stay positive.
  • I'll work as hard as I can. 
Then I examine promises I make to others.
  • I will be there for you.
  • I will be there for you.
  • I will be there for you. 
  • And you.
The new school year represents so many lavish opportunities that God places in our lives to be His hands and feet.  

I think about the little ones He's bringing back to us, or new children who've moved into our area over the summer, those we have not yet met.  

I grieve over the students who will not be returning...thinking especially of a precious little boy who was killed in a car accident over the summer.  Will all of our students return safe and sound?

I fret over students who will come back to us after a summer of neglect.  Unless the school doors are open, they may be unfed, unsheltered, unloved.  When they return to school, they need care immediately. 

I worry over students who are anxious themselves about a new year, as they have difficulty with transitions.  

I pray for our new teachers, who are about to embark on a life-changing year, a life-changing career. 

A new school year is all about promises.  

I love that I work in a district that puts kids first, even when it's hard. There are so many demands on our time, our talents, our folks.  Within a few short days, most of us will be stretched thin.  

But we have this thing called faith.  For so many who think they must go to church to find a Christian school, I would argue that search is incorrect.  I have met more Christians in a public school than I've ever met in church. 

And we have each other.  Oh how we need the promises offered to each other.  

They take the form of the smile offered first thing you walk through the gauntlet of parents and kids in the morning. 
The pat on the back given wordlessly.  
The treat in your mailbox from an anonymous pal.  
The knowing glance when you pass each other in the hall. 
The hurried sigh offered during planning time. 
The affirmations given with no strings attached. The deep exhalation when you've taught bell to bell. The high five when the last bus pulls away.

A new school year is about promises offered, proferred, and fulfilled, one at a time.

One day at a time.

One student at a time.

One.more.time.