Change

Today was a day that was marked with great change.  I do not embrace change, I do not particularly care for change, and I don’t believe that change is always good or necessary.  So you can imagine that today was hard for me.  I knew this day would be hard, but never expected it to be this hard.  Caden walked in and out of the Sioux Center Christian School for the last time as a student.  He will go in and out of that building many, many, times in the next several years, but it will be different.  He will not get dropped off there at 8:03 each morning, and be greeted by the teachers who love him and prayed for him.  He will not run on the playground and play pick-up games with the boys who understand him best.  He will not give his sisters high-fives on the way down to the lunch room each noon hour.  He will no longer be taught each and every subject from a Christian world view.  Change is in the future for Caden, and although none of us like it right now, this change was necessary.  Why?  Because it was asked of us.   

Dear SCCS Teachers, Staff, and Administration,

It is with incredibly grateful, humbled, and somewhat saddened hearts that we write this letter. It was 8 years ago that we made one of the most important, and hardest decisions a parent will make. We decided 8 years ago this month, that our first child would be attending the SCCS. After discussions with other SCCS families, visits to both the local schools, and much prayer it was made clear that SCCS was the place that our children would be educated. We have been blessed and encouraged by that decision ever since! During that time of prayer and petition, and asking God what he desired from us as parents in regards to our kids' education, it was also made clear to us, that our kids would not always be in the Christian school. We knew that at some point, while still under the care and shepherding of us as parents, our children would also be educated in a secular institution. At that time, we did not know when that time would be, but it is at this point, with Caden entering 7^th grade, we have made the decision to register him at the SC Middle School. This is not a decision that was made lightly. It was also not a decision that was made from a financial aspect. It was not a decision made because of any particular school loyalty, and it certainly was not a decision made out of unhappiness or discontent with SCCS. This decision was made strictly out of personal conviction and obedience.

We want to express our immense gratitude to everyone who has made Caden's first 7 years of education a blessing and a gift. Not only has his educational experience been “top-notch”, but more importantly, he has had the opportunity to grow spiritually in the knowledge of Jesus Christ. You have been an instrument that God has used. God has shaped and molded him into a young man who desires to serve his Lord. Caden knows and understands the great responsibility he has ahead of him and we thank each one of you for helping in preparing him for that task. We look forward to partnering with you for many years to come.

In Christian love and service, Bryan and Becca

Today I treated Mr Bandstra’s 6th grade class to doughnuts and juice.  It was a celebration of the last day of school, and also a thank you to the kids for being such wonderful friends to Caden for the past 7 years.  While I was in the middle of expressing my gratitude to his classmates, I looked over and saw Caden and two of his best friends in tears.  Before I knew it, the whole class gathered around Caden and the two other boys, embracing them and crying with them.  I told myself before going into the classroom, that for Caden’s sake, I was not going to get emotional.  I held it together until that point.  Caden has a great group of friends.  I love a couple of them almost as much as I love my own kids.  As a parent, you pray that God will bless your kids with kind, caring, trust-worthy friends.  He provided so faithfully when he gave us Caden’s friends.  When I left the classroom this morning, I walked over to one of the boys who is especially dear to Caden and our family.  His head was in his hands and he was crying with is face down on his desk.  I leaned over and gave him a great big hug.  I cried with him, and then told him that this was not the end of he and Caden’s friendship.  I really do believe that.  It will take more effort and work, but I believe that these two will always be friends. 

Our tears today are tears of sadness and of unwelcomed change.  They are tears of loss.  God has asked something of us and although it isn’t pleasant for the time, I believe that God will bless this decision.  When God asks something of us, He doesn’t promise that it will be enjoyable or fun, but he does promise that His blessings come with obedience.  We have seen some of these promised blessings already in this decision making process.  He has allowed us many heart to heart conversations with Caden.  We have spent nights crying and praying together about this decision.  We have seen him mature and grow as he embraces this change in his life.  Cade is a pretty special young man and I have confidence that God has great things in store for him.  So although we shed tears of sadness today, I look forward to shedding tears of great joy as we embark on this new adventure God has asked us to take.