Thankful for God’s Presence

Dear Parents and Friends of SCS,

As we enter a time of thanksgiving and praise, I’m overwhelmed by the evidence of God’s presence in our school.  God’s presence is by far the most outstanding thing that makes our school great.  I can’t imagine what our school would be without it. 

In 2 Chronicles 5: 13-14, we see a glimpse of the celebration and thanksgiving of God’s people as His presence reenters the temple:  “The trumpeters and singers joined in unison, as with one voice, to give praise and thanks to the LORD.  Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals and other instruments, they raised their voices in praise to the LORD and sang:  ‘He is good; his love endures forever.’  Then the temple of the LORD was filled with a cloud, and the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled the temple of God.” 

Although our school is not filled with a cloud, God makes himself known by his presence in a variety of different ways.  First, He provides the Holy Spirit to work through our teachers so that they speak the truth in love.  They cannot do this work on their own.  At times, the words they use to instruct are not their words, but rather the Holy Spirit’s.  On many occasions, teachers will tell me that their well laid out plans took a detour because God revealed something to them that couldn’t wait.  For example, recently in the middle school ,the lesson was dealing with salvation, and there was indication that some students were uncertain about their salvation.  This led to a complete halt of the plans to address such an important topic. 

God’s presence is also evident in how He is working through our students.  Each day I’m blown away with the discussion and conversations our students have about God and His creation.  The discussions are divinely inspired.  These conversations spill over into how our students treat each other and set goals in their lives.  God’s presence is revealed in how our students worship and serve others.  His presence impacts how our students study, think, and solve problems. 

In this time of thanksgiving, I am thankful for God’s presence in our school.  I am thankful that He is equipping us as educators and learners (students and teachers alike) to do big things for Him.  Let’s praise and thank Him for this, and let’s do it loudly!   

May God bless you as you celebrate a time of thanksgiving with friends and family this week. 

With a Grateful Heart, 

Ann Steenwyk
Director of Academics and Instruction