New Beginnings

The ending of a school year is very hectic. I always feel a little spent, or as one of my favorite authors, Louis L’Amour would say, “I feel as if I have been rode hard and put up wet” (I know … my leisure reading choices are not very sophisticated). So it is always with great anticipation that I welcome the wonderful months of summer; they afford an interesting diversion from the daily activity of school life. Of course there is something magical about the summer regardless of what we “do” for a living.
Summer is an interesting time at any school, it really is not as quiet as you may think. When you take into account that we offer approximately twenty five sport camps for students of all ages, summer school classes for our high school students, and lots of maintainence projects, this place is rather lively during the summer. Although I enjoy the break from the daily routine of school life that the summer affords, I am also glad for the activity that we do have around here as it is adds so much color and flavor to the school experience for everyone. The fall term will begin in a few short weeks and I will be delighted to see all the students return as I do miss them very much.
Having said that, I have been thinking a great deal about beginnings and endings. My “beautiful” six year old was the flower girl at a wedding last weekend. The bride was the flower girl at our wedding. Over the same weekend my wife and I spent some time bringing closure to a huge part of her past by going through the home of her recently deceased grandfather. Perhaps those two weekend events, the ending of one school year, and preparations for another, have reminded me that my real “work” is to become ever closer to our Lord. At times I delude myself into thinking that my real “work” is to somehow manage events and people. Truth be told, part of my delusion along those lines is to think that God somehow needs my help. Silly aren’t I?
Consequently, my personal goal for this forthcoming year, and the one that has been selected as our coorperate theme for the school is “Intimacy with the Almighty”. It is my heart felt desire that everyone who is associated with Forest Lake Christian School will be drawn decidedly closer to God as we “work” our way through another school year. Richard J. Foster in “Celebration of Discipline” correctly comments “Superficiality is the curse of our age. The doctrine of instant satisfaction is a primary spiritual problem. The desperate need today is not for a greater number of intelligent people, or gifted people, or hard working people, but for deep people”. He refers, of course, to people who are intimate with Him. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit in Philippians chapter three the Apostle Paul said it best, “that I may know Him…..progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving, recognizing, understanding…..continually transformed by Him to be more like Him”.
My encouragement as I begin this journey towards greater intimacy with the almighty is found in Philippians chapter one and verse six where Paul reminds us “I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will continue that work until the day of Christ Jesus.”