For the first time in our lives, Phil and I, as parents, are experiencing the milestone of a college freshman. Our daughter, Olivia, was born 18 years ago to parents who had no idea how much their firstborn child would change their lives.
I don’t know what it is about a young child. All of the possibilities on earth and all the hope of heaven seems to be in their eyes and sweet faces. They are just simply amazing – every one of them – and we were hopelessly in love with the one given to us.
I can still remember the anxiety and pressure we felt when it came time to choose a school where Olivia would attend kindergarten. As we were touring one of the several schools on our list, a friend said something to me that was pivotal in our decision. She looked me straight in the face and said with deep conviction and passion, “You know, there is absolutely nothing more important in a child’s life than an education.”
We hadn’t thought about private school until that moment when I was struck with the fact that Phil and I needed help to raise our children in addition to the network of support we had through our family, friends, and church family. Because education includes a worldview and because a person’s worldview is shaped in the first 13 years of life, we added West Side Christian School to our tour list, decided to go that route, and then took it one year at a time.
Phil and I knew from our own experiences that spiritual formation is about knowing who we are, and that doesn’t occur by chance. Could we have achieved our goals for Olivia in a different school? Of course. Many families who love God raise their children in public and homeschool settings with success. Private school is not the answer. Christ is the answer. And, He’s not partial. Every classroom can be a mission field for the teacher and parent who sees through the eyes of God.
There is a quote by Jim Collins from his book, “Good to Great” that I like. It reads,
“Adherence to core values combined with a willingness to challenge and change everything except for those core values is key. We must keep the clear distinction between what we stand and work for (which should never change) and how we do things (which should never stop changing). Great organizations have a clear purpose - a reason for being.”
Although the Body of Christ shares the same values, within the institutions of our schools and churches, we may not share the same methods. It takes different ways to reach different people. To reach the roughly 10,000 school-aged children in Union County, it takes us all.
My heart is full when I say Olivia is ready for the next chapter of her life. She knows she is loved by a living God who created and sustains life and actually cares about the details of her life. She’s a Warrior, and, although the responsibility of her growth and development fell on us as parents, not a day goes by that we are not thankful for the companionship of the teachers, coaches and staff, church leaders, family, and friends who walked alongside us over the course of her early life and helped make her who she is today.
You were each important. Your presence was valued in whatever role you found yourself.