Faith, Facts, Feelings

As our school year draws to a close, please join me in praising God! There are too many blessings to mention all of them, but I must mention two: We’ve been able to have in-school learning all year, and the program, Musical Morning in May, was in-person!  The blessing of your adorable children reciting Scripture, saying pledges, singing praises to Jesus, and learning patriotic songs culminating with the kindergarteners graduating gave me a reason to rejoice in the blessing of sweet, little voices!  Parents, I know how proud you are! Only God knows what these little lives will become.Speaking of our in-school learning and in-person program, navigating the COVID-19 situation this year at RDS took much fore-thought and planning. Faith, not fear, a healthy respect for medical advice, along with an informed outlook on risk-management was the manner in which decisions were made and executed.  During each step facts were gathered, prayed through, and acted upon. Faith in our Sovereign God was demonstrated daily among Jenny, the teachers, and assistants alike. You and your children were the receivers of this beautiful faith in action.  Whether this goodness floated through the hallways or in the classrooms, I left thinking: there is something special here, as I, too, was a receiver of this blessing. Thank you for following our protocols and trusting your children with us!Did feelings of fear, faith in the Lord and His Word, or medical facts take precedent over decisions?  Well, honestly, perhaps all three surfaced in various degrees at different times.        Feelings – We live in a feelings-centric culture. Scripture tells us to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ and His Word. Feelings follow our thoughts. We gain control of our feelings when we take captive our thoughts. We read in Scripture over and over where God tells us to fear not!  I saw this in action as you dropped your adorable children off at carpool and as the faculty and staff came to serve.  Isaiah 41:10 says, “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; surely I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” The Lord did, indeed, strengthen us this year, and you, too, made a choice not to be crippled by any feelings of fear.       Facts/Knowledge – Knowledge is doubling every twelve hours! Isn’t that mind-boggling? There was a time when almost everything in print was fact; you could "take it to the bank" was the saying.  Scripture says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction” (Prov. 1:7). What good is information that has little fact and zero wisdom?  I want more revelation of God’s Word and its application in my life as the source of my knowledge-base, don’t you?  That is true wisdom.        Faith – God is worthy of our faith and trust, and His Word is ultimate TRUTH!!  Our feelings and our "facts" are not always trustworthy. “He who promised is faithful” (Hebrews 10:23).  May I encourage you to stand firm in your faith and the Gospel message as you parent your children!Consider investing time into that which is eternal this summer by memorizing Scripture along with your children. God’s Word goes forth and does not return void. I cannot think of an activity that would bless you more as a family than Bible memorization. I, too, am going to ramp up my memorization and get my husband on board with the goal, and perhaps my grandchildren, too!Until we meet again…“May God bless you and keep you; may He make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; may the Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace“  (Num. 6:24-26).