Wednesday, October 18, 2017

Counting the Moments and Numbering the Days In a Christian School



“Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Psalm 90:12

At several part-time jobs in my high school and college years I worked at tasks that seemed to make the clock stand still, or on the worst of days - seem to go backwards. “Has it really only been 20 minutes I’ve been doing this? It feels like hours!”

Believe it or not, tomorrow morning marks six weeks since the start of our school year. Twenty-eight
days of instruction have taken place at LCES since the bell first rang to commence the 57 th year of
Christian education at LCES. I can assure you that time does not stand still here at school.
Students have started to learn how to read, tried out new sports, met new friends, practiced new art
techniques, and have dug deeper into a well-known Bible stories for meaning. Some math concepts
have been reviewed, others have been taught for the first time. New English and French vocabulary and language constructions have been practiced. People and lands far away and close by have been studied. Local government structures have been examined and fish fossils from long ago have been admired. New songs have been sung, and instrument skills practiced. Challenging cross country races and high-paced soccer games have taken place. Students have made chili and apple crisp, taught younger students how to use Chromebooks, sang songs of praise in chapels. With their teachers as their guide, students have celebrated success and walked the challenging road of reconciliation and renewal when things went wrong.

What does this all add up to? Is there something more to all this than just being busy?

By their nature, elementary schools are busy communities. There is a momentum to the collective
efforts of students and teachers and being around it is exciting and infectious. All of that energy and
“busyness” however, is not only to keep us occupied and look impressive. The sum total of all we do
here is to aim for wisdom, the kind that comes from the fear of the Lord.

Lord, help us to number our days and use them well for your kingdom.

SJ

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