Grey Squirrel

Outside my window there is a grey squirrel that delights in running along the telephone wire to get from one yard to another. Along the way, he jumps into the neighbor’s tree and picks up an acorn. Once to the ground, he looks this way and that and scurries under the hedge to store his acorn in the ground. When winter comes he will have a nice store of nuts to dig up and have for his breakfast. This squirrel is not doing all this to entertain me, but rather to fulfill his “squirrelhood.” It is part of the creation that is crying out, “Glory!” (see Psalm 29)

Being involved with Christian education, I am overwhelmingly concerned with the ways our students go about their task of education. To fulfill their “studenthood,” they will be students who sit down during study times, take out their books and pencils, and get to work. When they come to a problem that they cannot answer, they will pursue whatever righteous means necessary to find the answer. That may mean asking Mom or Dad for help, or it may be calling the teacher. It may mean looking in the book for the formula, the information section, or the bold faced words. But whatever if means, this student will drive himself to get the answer.

Now you all know that students don’t come that way. They need to be trained to fulfill that aspect of “studenthood.” This means that parents need to encourage, goad, direct, help train, and biblically motivate children that would otherwise desire “potatohood.” This is a full-time job. It requires vigilance, courage, and lots of love that is exemplified in delighting in our children. (see Prov. 3:12) The result is that we will have children who will also cry out, “Glory!”

As you begin this school year, commit yourself to this task and get help from those who work with your children. The teacher, the administrators, and I are more than willing to help you help your children. (The school office has some excellent books on the “how-to” of doing your task.) Also ask God for good wisdom as you parent your children.