Remembering to Put God and His Kingdom First
Recently, one of our Big Valley Christian School School Board members wrote an email to the BVCS staff. In it, he encouraged the staff to always remember to put God and His Kingdom first. Please enjoy an excerpt from the email:
For the last two weeks, my wife and I have been blessed with spending a larger than usual amount of time with four of our grandchildren who attend BVCS. We have been able to sit and talk with them and learn about what is going on in their lives. We have been impressed by many stories of what is happening in their classrooms. This morning on the way to school our 4th grader quoted Romans 12:12 to me and told me how they are studying Romans 12 in class. Yesterday, our high school senior said one of her teachers posted a note on the board that there were only 38 days of school left. Instead of instilling dreams of summer vacation in her, this notice helped her realize how precious time is and that her time at BVCS is quickly coming to an end. She reflected on how much she had learned at school, academically and socially, but more importantly who she is as a person and how important her relationship with Jesus Christ is. There are many more stories like this from other families whose children have been changed because of what you have done and are doing for all the students of BVCS.
Be strengthened in your resolve to finish the school year strong with the knowledge that you are being prayed for daily.
A man by the name of Bob Talbert once said, "Teaching kids to count is fine, but teaching them what counts is best." I don't know if Mr. Talbert was a Christian or what he actually thought "counts," but the idea is still important.
Your School Board is going through a book named Kingdom Education during our devotion time in our meetings. The above quote sets the stage for an incredible story that was used in the book. The author, Glen Schultz, recounted his conversation with a mother about their decision to send their children to a Christian school. At the end of the school year, the mother had a phone conversation with the 1st-grade teacher (Mrs. Clausen) of one of her children (Keaton).
The mother said: "[Mrs. Clausen] was quite distressed because Keaton had scored poorly on her test and [Mrs. Clausen] naturally felt responsible. My response to her was, 'Mrs. Clausen, did you teach my child to love the Word of God? Yes. Did you teach her to praise and worship Jesus? Absolutely, you did. Did you love my little girl with the love of the Lord? Always. Then both you and Keaton have had a successful year. I'm not worried about her test scores.' I wasn't. I knew that God would make sure that Keaton had everything she needed to fulfill God's perfect plan for her life ... I am so glad that I didn't worry about Keaton's test scores because test scores don't count in heaven. I'm so glad I didn't sweat the small stuff. You might argue that with me, but test scores are small stuff in comparison to knowing Christ.
You might be thinking that this is a typical testimony of a parent who is trying to support a Christian school. However, the reason I am compelled to share this testimony is because of the words that the news commentator, Paul Harvey, has made so famous - the rest of the story! Just weeks after this parent and teacher conversation took place, little Keaton was killed in an accident.
The mother went on to share: I am so grateful that in preparation for Keaton's death the Lord placed my children in a school where for many years they have been saturated with the Word of God and His powerful truths. Though academics are important, it is the Word of God that has seen us through our darkest hours."
Oh, how completely accurate Mr. Talbert was!!! Keep doing what you do best, teach academics, yes, but always remember to put God and His Kingdom first.
Schultz, Glen. Kingdom Education: God's Plan for Educating Future Generations. LifeWay Press, 2002.
