10/4/2021 Principal's Note

By -

Welcome to another week in God's grace at Emanuel! Can you believe it's October already? Time flies when you're having fun (and when you're working hard, too; just ask your children!).

October is a busy month at your school. Classroom church singing begins, sports seasons are at their height, FVL band is ramping up, teachers and students are well into their classroom routines, and I have the privilege of beginning my classroom observations. Also taking into account the heightened awareness of staff and student health, a hugely important capital campaign beginning for our church, and big changes in the weather on the horizon, we have a lot vying for our attention!

Don't let it all get you distracted from what really matters. In Hebrews 12:1-2, the apostle Paul tells us, "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith" (NIV). The idea of "fixing your eyes" means to stare and give all of your concentration to something; as a reference, picture when your child is absorbed in a TV show or video game (or better yet, a book!) and begs for just one more minute before they have to stop. That's the kind of focused attention we should keep on Jesus.

Cross country is one of the current sports seasons going on, and our team is doing great! I love when the Bible compares life to a race, for two reasons. First, a race has a clear end in sight; we know our finish line is in heaven. Secondly, and maybe not as thought-about with passages like this, a race is "marked out for us." When runners compete, they are not randomly running in all directions. No, someone has spent time and effort clearly marking out the course. Your God does the same thing before you even entered this world. Your race is marked out, and God lovingly watches your progress. When you step off the path, you will get a (sometimes painful) nudge to get back on track, but it is all out of love. Nothing is "luck," nothing is up to "chance;" what a comfort!

Blessings to you all as you run your races this week!

In Christ,

Principal Bill Fuerstenau