SCHOOL

With many colleges starting up soon and even with primary schools, especially down south, already starting I thought it appropriate to finally share some thoughts I heard about school that apply to you, the one reading this!

“What?  I am way past school age and don’t attend school!” you respond.

Well, I think it all depends on your perspective on things.  Hear me out….

 

What if we considered the following:

 

 

Does that seem a little strange?

Maybe, just maybe, there is some truth to that!

Let’s explore that thought and delve deeper into thinking about the similarities.

Viewing life in this fashion can be a blessing and inspire our journey of life!

 

 

 

Yes, this adventure of life on earth is our SCHOOL!

When we are born into this world, our schooling starts.

And, guess what?  It continues all throughout our life on earth!

We continue to learn, study and center our lives in God our entire life on this earth!

School is in session!

 

 

 

Look at the beautiful world God created to be our classroom!

There are glorious sunrises/sunsets, colorful skies, majestic mountains, wild flowers, animals to behold.

Everywhere we look at nature we  see God’s masterpieces; His Presence!

 

 

 

Aren’t we blessed that our earthly bodies are our school house?

We never have to worry about going to a new building, learning our way around or getting lost in our school!

 

 

 

How great is it that we get to have one main, never changing teacher, throughout our school experience?!

He is the ultimate, best teacher ever~  And, even better is that He knows us oh, so well!

 

 

 

We are the student in this school of life.  The way we live your life is a reflection of what we learn daily.

We have the privilege of learning new things everyday; delving into a closer relationship with our Creator and Father each day.

All of these things will help us grow into the wonderful creation that God intended!

 

 

 

What an array of subjects and lessons we can learn but the main ones are to grow in

unconditional love…

unconditional generosity…

unconditional forgiveness….

 

Do we love all unconditionally?  No matter what they look like, what they do or how they treat us?

Do we give generously to the person on the street who is homeless?  To the person who needs our time?

Do we forgive those that mistreat us?  Those that lied to our face?

Daily, we get to practice these subjects!

 

 

 

We have daily lessons and homework that keep us learning, growing, working through things.

As we work through each day we get to study and learn God’s way of thinking and living.  We can read and study more of God’s word, be in communion with Him through prayer, devotionals, encouraging posts to help us navigate through the issues and trials of this life.

We need to be doing God’s will no matter what we might think, want or feel.  Releasing our fears, anger, guilt or pain of things that happened to us.

When problems occur we get to use our knowledge as to the best way to work through them.  And remember, our homework isn’t always perfect~

 

 

 

Quizzes occur, sometimes even pop quizzes when we least expect it, to help us gauge if we are on the right track or not.

When smaller problems in life occur, do we remember what we have been studying and try to practice what we have learned through our homework assignments?

 

 

 

Every now and then those tests have to appear!  The bigger trials or problems in this life.  How do we handle those big tests?

Do we trust the Lord?

Do we let fear and anxiety overtake us?

Or do we work things out with faith…Faith in a God who is bigger than any of our problems?  The God who calms the sea!

 

 

 

Every day there is some time for recess! 

Those times we might take a few minutes to go for a quick walk or bike ride to recenter ourself, observe God’s creation or connect with our life source, God. 

Be like a little child running, letting go, being free!

 

 

Ahhh…summer vacation!

A longer time of peace, joy and love to just be.  Enjoying the quietness of no routine, no time schedule taking time to relax and be still.

A great benefit of trusting the Lord; a foretaste of what Heaven will be like.  Taking time to enjoy the scenery knowing we are God’s creation too!

 

 

 

We earn our diploma when we are about ready for graduation!

We are continually learning to trust God completely; no matter what we think or feel, we choose to let go of control.

We need to keep working on it until we die.

 

 

 

At graduation, we leave our school house~

We celebrate our commencement~

Yes, we graduate when at last we leave this earth~

And can call Heaven our eternal home!

We get to live with God and Jesus for eternity celebrating who we are in Him!

Forever in the arms of our Heavenly Father!

It was one of those “God moments” this week while prepping these thoughts I happened to be skimming a Young Life newsletter and in talking about one of the Presidents of Young Life who recently lost his life it said, “to use a favorite phrase of his, “(he) was graduated to glory.”

This week be encouraged to really put into practice that unconditional love, unconditional generosity and unconditional forgiveness that Jesus modeled for us. 

Keep doing your homework so you are always prepared for any quizzes or tests that may occur!

And always be prepared to graduate to glory!

 

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.  By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.  –John 13:34-35  (ESV)

He will always make you rich enough to be generous at all times, so that many will thank God for your gifts which they receive from us.  For this service you perform not only meets the needs of God’s people, but also produces an outpouring of gratitude to God.   –2 Corinthians 9:11-12  (GNT)

Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.  –Colossians 3:13  (NLT)

Happy are those who remain faithful under trials, because when they succeed in passing such a test, they will receive as their reward the life which God has promised to those who love him.   –James 1:12  (GNT)