Being the daughter of two educators, I have been privy to a lot of the inner-workings of a school, namely in a Christian setting. Over the course of my education, I saw both sides of many situations. I was not always the glowing example of a perfect student but being able to see from both perspectives spurred me on. This made me want to do my best and respect the authority put in place in the classroom. I was not without a few “go out into the hall” or “see me after class” incidents throughout elementary school and for the most part, I was rather average in my scholarly endeavors.
As I climbed up the ranks of the education ladder, I found myself excelling in my studies. By the time my senior year came around, I was consistently an honor roll student, even a high honor roll student. It was exciting to see my academic potential shining through. I graduated as a member of the National Honor Society and proudly wore the yellow cord indicating this achievement around my neck, as well as my cap and gown. I received my high school diploma and eagerly set out to make my mark on the world.
I was seventeen (eighteen the following month) when I bid adieu to the required education portion of my life. I am now twenty-two and although I am no longer in school, I find myself learning daily. Mathematics, grammar, spelling…these things are all important parts of your learning process. Art, I must also note, is an important subject, not just an excuse to get an “easy A”. Expanding your creativity is a way to keep the brain stimulated. If for whatever reason you find you are not getting a satisfactory grade in art class, it may just be because you are not putting any effort into the project. But I digress.
As I was tidying yesterday, I came across a binder I have full of certificates of achievement from high school, neatly placed in clear, plastic sleeves. Some lauded my grade point average for the year, while others acknowledged my high grade percentage for that particular quarter in one class or the other. I thought to myself “How sad that I won’t be able to proudly present anything like this to my parents again”. I thumbed through the certificates again but focused on the other accomplishments that were scrolled out on paper. There was a silly certificate the high school supervisor had created to, in a way, thank students who had managed to stay out of detention for the entire year. It was meant to be kind of tongue-in-cheek but at the same time encouraging to be acknowledged for good behavior. Another award I had tucked away in this binder was from my ninth grade art teacher, painting me as a good helper. Still, my favourite certificate was, and is, the Fruit of the Spirit award. It was presented to me in eleventh grade for exhibiting the characteristics as outlined in Galatians 5:22. Aside from being one of the most meaningful verses to me, it was quite an honor to be told that I was exhibiting such Christ-like character.
As I have said, an education is essential to accomplishing goals later in life. I would not be able to express my feelings in the form of writing had someone not taken the time to teach me the alphabet, spelling, grammar, etc. (I am sure I am rusty, but I do know the basics.) God can use many talents and abilities for His glory. If you are going to pursue a higher education, a good grade point average greatly aids in obtaining this goal. There are many reasons why I support a well-rounded, Christ-centered education. I share this, because I think sometimes as children, but especially teenagers, we lose sight of the lessons learned outside of geometry and physics. Seventh grade taught me how pride comes before the fall. During ninth grade, I started a crash course in grief after the sudden loss of my grandma. I was forced into a front row seat for a lesson on faith in tenth grade. Senior year thrust me into Heartbreak 101 with a focus on Putting God First.
I cannot remember how to divide fractions, name all the Presidents of the United States or recite the periodic table but I do remember the lessons learned in each of those above situations. Each built upon the other, as I slowly realized God was polishing me. Each year, month, week and day there are new lessons that God is trying to teach me. Some days I am more receptive than others. My high school accomplishments are still special to me because I persevered through very difficult circumstances to get to the point I was at the end of senior year. It is a testimony to God’s faithfulness! However, of all the accolades, plaques and awards this world has to offer, remember to strive to grow in character.
When it comes to the end of the road, God will not send those who had an “A” average first into Heaven. He will not judge your ability to write a sonnet, paint a picture or deliver the entire history of World War II. We will all be judged according to our hearts and our character. Do not get me wrong and think I mean we are saved by our works. On the contrary, there is nothing we can do to be saved outside of true repentance of the heart and a receiving of Jesus Christ into our hearts, our lives. Jesus is the one and only way to Heaven! I simply mean that there are crowns that will be given out when we enter the presence of God. These are what I want to strive for. I will do my best with any task set before me, because that is honoring to God but my ultimate goal is to become more Christ-like in my character day by day through the life lessons I am tested on. It is not for my own praise, it is just because I want to hear God say “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
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