On January 28 in 2013 we had our first first day of school. On that day five beautiful students walked through our doors. They were what my Papaw would call young’uns. Their parents were more than apprehensive, they were scared... overwhelmed.... hopeful. They also had this in common - they had been waiting anxiously for our doors to open. Their confidence in us drove us to live out our mission to the fullest because these parents were counting on us. This year we reopen our doors in much the same way. Parents are scared..... overwhelmed.... hopeful and they have been waiting anxiously for our doors to reopen (as have we). Parents are counting on us to take care of their children as if they are our own...to do all the things that are necessary to keep all of us safe and to keep opening those doors day after day. It’s a different kind of year for sure. I keep envisioning this guy at Amazon saying, “I think The Bridge of Georgia School has turned into a medical clinic or something”. While I have always started the year with my amazon cart chocked full of pencils and paper and fidgets and books, this year I have added a whole new dimension. It is full of masks and gloves and thermometers and sanitizer sprayers. We have purchased what we needed to outfit our outdoor classes and ziplock bags galore to keep everyone’s items separate.
Our building is known for being full of love. This year love looks like 6ft pool noodles and desks spread far apart. It looks like staff who wear masks and tubs of sanitizing wipes that are bigger than my head. In 1 Corinthians 13 God gives us a perfect description of love. “Love never gives up. Love cares more for others than for itself”. That aptly describes this staff. We aren’t giving up. And everyday when they don their masks it is because their love puts your child ahead of themselves. The chapter ends by saying “we don’t yet see things clearly. We are peering through a mist...but for right now we have three things to do. Trust steadily in God. Hope unswervingly. Love extravagantly. And the greatest of these is love.”
I love you fiercely!