Abundantly Beyond

For the second half of my childhood, I lived in a small town. Before that, I attended Christian school. Both of my children were also raised in a small town and attended Christian school. I know the irreplaceable value of both of these things.

I recently returned from my first trip to the small Midwest town that my older son and his family moved to in June, and I was privileged to visit the large Christian school he will be teaching at and attend the grade school’s "Back to School Night" with my four grandchildren. It was fun to watch them meet their teachers and begin to discover their identity in this new place. The town is special, but the school is more than I could have imagined.

The school’s stated mission is to develop students’ God-given gifts and equip leaders for lives of service. Adhering to the Teaching for Transformation model, each teacher has developed a “deep hope” for their students for the year as well as designing all of their teaching around seeking to instill ten values into each child’s life. The goal is to encourage each student to become a Community Builder, Beauty Creator, Justice Seeker, Image Reflector, God Worshiper, Earth Keeper, Servant Worker, Creation Enjoyer, Order Discoverer, and Truth Seeker. The overall theme for the year is Transformed By God’s Story and is based on 2 Corinthians 3:18. And on top of all that, the school also offers a Spanish immersion track where participating students (from preschool through 12^th grade) are taught a second language and culture with daily Spanish instruction in all subjects. This is so much more than reading, writing, and arithmetic!

But, believe it or not, it gets even better. Thanks to the Iowa Students First Act signed into law in 2023, state funding is available for many private school students – which means that about 90% of the cost to send my four grandchildren to this amazing Christian school is paid for by the state of Iowa! Hard to imagine when you live in a liberal state like Washington.

When my son began applying for teaching positions throughout the Midwest, he had never heard of Pella, Iowa and knew nothing about this school. He received positive feedback from many other schools in other states and more than one job offer. But as God’s will unfolded for their family, it became crystal clear that Pella was where God was leading them. Not just for my son and his future job, but for the whole family. God loves to bless his children with good gifts, and often beyond our wildest dreams. Not only do my grandchildren get to attend this amazing school, but my son has the best performance facility he has ever had in his 18-year career as a band teacher! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

God is so good, and we praise him for choosing to give such wonderful gifts to our family. Walking by faith means trusting God fully to supply all of our needs and to give far more than we could ask or imagine. And God never disappoints!

 

Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

When I was in school, science was one of my least favorite subjects. In fact, I somehow miraculously managed to get my diploma and also a college education while only taking one science class! The last time I cracked open a science textbook was in ninth grade Biology with Mr. Day (who was, incidentally, a great teacher!).

I’m not sure what exactly I disliked so much about science back then. But as I have grown older I have developed a greater appreciation for how the natural world works and especially the intricate creation of the human body. We are truly “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14) beyond our comprehension – with every part working together for the full functioning of the whole body. I have seen this principle at work through many years of daily living and physical accomplishments and through the negative eyes of illnesses that have affected how our bodies perform.

But I have been watching this principle on magnificent display this past week as I see the accomplishments of the athletes in the Paris Olympics. To someone who neither excelled in nor was very interested personally in sports pursuits, it is amazing what well-trained and serious athletes can do with their bodies! I am in awe every night as I watch the wrap-up of each day’s events and witness the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.

The human body is an amazing mixture of intricate design and perfectly balanced parts that work together to allow us to experience great feats of strength and coordination as well as a plethora of sensations and emotions and an unlimited amount of thought processes. We can climb mountains or make music or solve equations or write books. And we can love and find joy in relationships with others. All this while employing the “fallen” version of our bodies that includes the effects of our sin nature. Makes me curious to know what the “perfect” human body that God originally created was like . . . and more anxious than ever to experience that again in heaven someday!

 

What Is Truth?

Truth has been under attack for most, if not all, of my life; but it seems that the current social and political atmosphere lends itself even more to this assault. It has become increasingly difficult to determine who is telling the truth, causing some in the younger generations to question whether any real truth actually exists.  

But this is not really a modern problem; it is a human problem. In 33AD, during the trial of Jesus Christ, Pontius Pilate mocked him with the question, “What is truth?” (John 18:38). He echoed the age-old question that has always plagued mankind since the Fall – and the eternal struggle to trust something or Someone other than ourselves.

Some would have us embrace the idea of relative or subjective truth – that there can be one truth for you and a different truth for me. The results of this idea are what we see played out most often in our interactions with others socially and politically. As Christians, we can be tempted to buy into this idea when we practice tolerance for everything or choose our own comfort over upholding the Biblical teaching of absolute truth when faced with difficult personal relationships.

Yesterday the speaker at our church defined truth as “statements of fact that match reality”. He also added that truth always contains an element of morality. This is because actual truth comes from God and is a reflection of his character. As Jesus stated in John 14:6 about himself, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” That’s why there is no such thing as relative or subjective truth. The only real truth is absolute and unchangeable, like God Himself.   

Upholding absolute truth is unpopular and sometimes uncomfortable. It can also be difficult to navigate. It means standing up for what the Bible teaches while showing love and care for those who don’t embrace absolute truth. I can’t say that I know exactly what that looks like in every situation. And I can’t say that I’ve always, if ever, found the proper balance between grace and truth. Only Jesus perfectly modeled that equilibrium.

But my daily goal is to continue to stand for truth while improving my ability to give grace to others who see things differently. To become more Christlike, I must aspire to be full of both grace and truth, just as Jesus was (John 1:14). This task seems to be getting more and more challenging in our 21^st century world; but, with God’s help, nothing is impossible (Luke 1:37)! 

Voting With an Eternal Perspective

Last week the mail carrier delivered my August Primary Election ballot and the accompanying Voter’s Pamphlet with information about all of the candidates and issues. As I have never voted strictly along party lines, to say that the task ahead of me is daunting would be an extreme understatement. With 28 candidates for Governor and 11 for U.S. Senator, it is tempting just to skip the voting process altogether. What average citizen really has the time and energy to fully research each candidate and make an informed and responsible decision?

I’m trying to be thankful for the privilege I have in our country to cast a vote and supposedly be a part of the election process. But ever since I moved away from the small town that I was raised in, where I knew at least something about each of the candidates, it has been increasingly difficult to figure out who to vote for. And now that I live in the most populous and most liberal county in the state, the task seems impossible. I used to feel that my vote actually made a difference, but now it is easy to become apathetic.

The truth is, I can think of much better things to spend my time on than politics. And while I hope I don’t sound un-American, there is also this truth: no decisions we humans make in the political arena will have any bearing on what God intends to accomplish in our country or the world. God is sovereign and always will be; and Romans 13:1 makes it clear that only He is actually in charge of who gets elected: “For there is no authority except that which God has established, and those that exist have been instituted by God.”  

This can be a hard verse to accept in a world that contains evil because it means that the reigns of people like Adolf Hitler and Saddam Hussein or the Roman emperors Nero and Caligula were ordained by God. And it means that the battle between parties and candidates in American politics is of little consequence and wields no real power. But for someone like me who is interested in being a good citizen while also being disinterested in most political things, this verse is comforting. It means that Someone bigger and smarter than me is in charge and that nothing I do or don’t do can stop or change His ultimate plan. And even when God’s way of doing things doesn’t make sense to me, this verse also reminds me that my God is definitely more important to trust in than my nation.

So I will go back to the task at hand and try my hardest to make intelligent and informed choices as I fill out my ballot. But I will continue to rest in the truth of God’s sovereignty and be grateful that Jesus has won the battle and that I know how it all ends, regardless of what the so-called “powers-that-be” do between now and then.