10/18/21 Principal's Note

By -

"Are we there yet?" "Are we close?" Or, if you happen to be a child of the principal and on your way to a family birthday party this past weekend, "Are we even halfway there yet?" I know that you've all heard kids say phrases like these before. Did you ever stop to wonder why? As I sat in the driver's seat of my minivan on Saturday, yelling, "No, not even close!" for the fifth time, I realized something. My kids were asking that question over and over because they were worried. We were going to their cousins' house for a birthday party, and they were worried they would miss out on something because of the 90-minute drive. After I told them that the party didn't even officially start until 4:00 (it was 11:15 when the questions started), they stopped asking and relaxed.

Do you ever worry about missing out on something? I think that's an easy question to answer. People are constantly worried about how they use their time, not having enough time, or things that waste their time. We worry that we won't finish the things on our checklist for today, and what does that mean for tomorrow, or for our weekend plans? Or, the biggest worry of all: how much time do I have left, period? It's enough to make your head spin!

As usual, God has an answer for that. In Matthew 6:27, Jesus says, "Can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your life" (NIV)? That's a rhetorical question; of course you can't! When you stop to think about it, time is one of the silliest things about which we worry. No matter how stressed out you are about how you end up using your time, there will still be about 24 hours in a day, every day, for the rest of your life. How long will that life be? Only God knows. All we can do is pray that God helps us use our time to his glory, and then go out and use the gifts he's given us to serve him in whatever way presents itself.

And cut your kids some slack in the car; they're just vocalizing the time worries that we keep locked in our heads!

Have a blessed week, everyone.

In Christ,

Principal Bill Fuerstenau