On this particular Friday the president of the school board hovered around in the back of the outdoor gymnasium where about 150 high school students had gathered for the weekly chapel service. The senior class was in charge. Their short program was designed to convince the other students of the urgency of witnessing to their friends. After a short skit depicting a young man who died suddenly in a car accident, a couple of senior girls (all the speakers were girls) took turns presenting the message that our friends could spend an eternity in hell because we didn’t bother to tell them how they could be saved.
This was interesting to me, considering an estimated 80% of our students come from non-Christian homes. Be that as it may, a fascinating scenario emerged from this situation. Right after the last senior gave her pep talk on witnessing, the students watched a video clip from the Internet. It was a dramatization about a young man who had been killed in a car accident and was waiting to be taken to hell. He was writing to his friend Zach who had never witnessed to him.
This video was a very emotional production. At one point this young man was saying, “I hear some noise at the door! (gasp) The door is opening!! (Pant, Pant) The demons are coming to get me!!! They are coming to drag me into the lake of fire!!!! OH, GOD HELP ME!!!!!”
Just prior to this point the president of the school board ambled next to me and pointed out a young man who was reading a book. Leaning over he whispered, “Is that allowed in chapel?” I assured him that it was not allowed, and then moved over to take care of it.
Walking to the culprit’s location, I discovered that he was in a row where I couldn’t get his attention. So I decided to ask a girl to poke him for me. I didn’t stop to think that this girl might be totally engrossed in the video much like a teenager watching a horror movie. When I touched her shoulder, she screamed. I thought she was going to have a heart attack on the spot. This, of course, did catch the attention of the intended transgressor along with a couple dozen others.
Speaking of horror movies, it is scary to think how fast this year has gone. In just a few weeks we will have spring break. And, as any experienced teacher knows, it is only a breath and a nod from then until the end of school in June. What I thought was going to be an unbearably busy year is now all but gone. In its wake are left the memories … precious memories of living a year with our granddaughters. This is the way of God’s grace through hard times.
The accreditation committee of which I was chairman submitted its final report which has given me the feeling that I have a new lease on life. My daughter gave us a new granddaughter in February while my wife was there in Peru to help her for a couple of weeks.
Our New Granddaughter Cesia
Our daughter-in-law is now pregnant … a natural but unexpected consequence of seeing her husband for the first time in four months when he visited us over the Christmas break.
As a vapor on a frosty February morning (in Idaho, that is) another year is gone and life marches on. We will continue to take one year at a time … by God’s grace … relying on His faithfulness.
Psa 71:17,18 Oh God, you have taught me from my youth and I still declare
your wondrous deeds, and even when I am old and gray, O God, do not forsake
me until I declare your strength to this generation, your power to all
who are to come.
No comments:
Post a Comment