It has been said by many that the first day of school is a significant step in a child’s educational journey. It’s a day of new beginnings, filled with opportunities for growth and learning. We are to embrace excitement and remember that every first day is a step towards a bright future.
I wonder if that is what my parents encouraged me to do just before they left me in the classroom on my first day of kindergarten.
My first day of school was very short — English was not my first language and I quickly decerned that I could not understand anyone in the class, including the teacher! I didn’t embrace the excitement and shout “carpe diem” — I did what a frightened child would do and ran away from school.
To cut a long story short, my parents did finally find me and wouldn’t you know it, the next day I was back in school. I don’t really remember how they convinced me to go back but, thinking about my parents as I write this, I know they would have comforted me, loved me, and nurtured me. This gave me the trust and faith in my parents to depend on them in all things, even if it meant going to school where I did not understand what was being spoken.
Similarly, having childlike faith means trusting God completely and depending on Him for guidance and provision. This kind of faith acknowledges our own limitations and God’s infinite wisdom and power.
My prayer over this school year:
God, there is a reason You tell us to have faith like that of a child. Children are bursting with curiosity and are full of love. Protect their innocence and preserve the spark in their eyes from the darkness of the world. Let them be little lights to their parents and teachers. Allow them to grow and have an opportunity to learn. May they be kind to one another.
Lord, give to all students, teachers, and caregivers a clear sense of your love. May they feel your presence throughout this school year. Guide their choices, their quest for knowledge, and their relationships. Use their successes and failures as opportunities to grow in understanding of who you would have them to be. Continue to shape them, that they may walk in the way of Christ, grow strong in the Spirit’s love for all people, and know the complete joy of life in you. In the name of Christ our Great Teacher, we pray. Amen.
Jan Kwasniewski
Chairman of the Board of Directors
Christian Virtual School
