03/30/2022 Principal's Note

Do you remember your children's first words? Many times it's "mama" or "dada." Sometimes it's "dog" if you happen to have one of those roaming your house. "No" can also make an appearance fairly quickly. Once those first words come out of their mouths, verbal communication is constant. Even before those first words though, your children likely communicated their displeasure in a unique way that may not have ever changed, even if they are in 8th grade now: whining. 

There may not be a more grating sound on parents' ears than a child's incessant whining. Infants whine when they are hungry or upset. Toddlers whine when parents stop them from doing things that could cause them harm, because of course that's what they want to do. Preschoolers whine when they don't get their way. Elementary school students whine about things that "aren't fair." Middle-schoolers whine about...all of those things. Human beings, who are by our sinful natures are self-centered, whine about pretty much everything that doesn't go our way.

You know who didn't whine? Our Savior. Look at how the prophet Isaiah describes Jesus' last hours, during which he experienced enormous amounts of physical and psychological pain: "He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth" (Isaiah 53:7, NIV 2011). Think about everything that happened to Jesus leading up to his death. People told lies about him. He was ruthlessly mocked. Soldiers whipped him and beat him with their hands. A crown of thorns was shoved onto his head. Through all of this, he remained the God that spoke everything into existence at the beginning of time. With a word, he could have ended it all. Yet he said...nothing. Think of how we would respond to any of those trials he faced. Wouldn't we defend ourselves if people spoke lies about us or mocked us? Look at how quickly we do so on Facebook. Wouldn't we beg for mercy or shout with anger if people were physically violent toward us? Of course we would. We wouldn't even make it through one of those things, but Jesus endured it all.

Keep those things before you as we reach the final home stretch of Lent and approach Holy Week. Your Jesus suffered greatly because he loves you, and he did it without complaining. The next time we have to wait in line a bit longer than usual, or Festival is out of our favorite coffee creamer, or gas prices go up ten more cents per gallon, remember what Jesus went through. Instead of complaining about what we don't have, let's rejoice and tell others about everything he has given us!

Have a blessed rest of your week!

In Christ,

Principal Bill Fuerstenau