Our Foundation

It is the KCS Grad weekend and I am feeling a little sad that I cannot share this amazing event with them. This will be the first KCS grad that I haven't attended in 16 years! Wow, that makes me feel old.

Anyway, I started thinking about foundations and Christian education. I know, first hand, that Christian education isn't perfect. There are all sorts of challenges that small Christian schools face that the public system doesn't have to deal with. Low numbers, few high school electives, not a huge variety of friends, teachers teaching outside of their specialities, limited funding, etc. I am sure you are very well aware of the challenges in a small Christian school.

The benefits, although, far, far, far outweigh the challenges. This is the part that so many Christian families miss. As a parent, obviously I want every opportunity for my children to succeed. I want them to receive the best education possible. The challenge for parents is to decide if the best education is that of gaining an abundance of knowledge in an environment void, and at times hostile towards, God; or, is it better to gain knowledge and wisdom in light of our Creator and in keeping with His Word? I believe the better choice is that of wisdom and the Lord. Knowledge is just that, knowledge. Wisdom is so much more - it prepares one for life - real life.

Justs down the road from us is a bridge. Due to the storms and abundance of rain over the past month, the banks of the river and the foundation of the bridge has been tested. The people living on either side of the bridge lost a chunk of their property, as the retaining walls crumbled and fell into the rushing water. Now that the water has subsided, the municipality is checking out the damage done to the foundation of the bridge. I am happy to say, that although it did shift slightly, it is still structurally sound.

This bridge is like a metaphor for our lives. If, when we are young, we construct a solid foundation and world view, rooted deeply in God's truth, when the storms come and the water rises, we may get bumped and even bruised, but we will not crumble. This is what Christian education can do for a child, who later becomes an adult and has to live out their beliefs when life is not always "a bed of roses."

Every morning at 7:30 I am reminded of the value of Christian education and building a solid foundation in a little life. As I am busy working around the house, I can hear hundreds of voices raised in song and praise to the Lord, as the morning devotional from our Chamche school echos off the mountains. The children in our schools here, in Guatemala, are learning to look to the Lord first: first thing in the morning; first, before the challenges come; first to Him and not to themselves. If they can learn that, the rest of their education is a bonus, because they will be fit to live out their life for the one who created them. How can knowledge be more important than that?

Blessings,

Karren