Drama, drama, drama

This year I gave to Jesus my desire for graciousness. Right away I was tried when having a discussion with some co-workers in the lunch room about our school's accredidation and whether all our teachers should be licesened. I made myself look like a pompous jerk. Even though I believe my view would be well received in another time and another place with other people...this was just not the right group of people. I realized how I had failed already in my desire, but committed to dive back in.

Little did I know this last week would provide for an even bigger chance to fail, or succeed. I believe I have succeeded.

About two weeks ago our superintendent came to a morning teacher meeting and told us we all needed to be at a very important parent meeting to be held Thursday, January 25. We were told it was going to be about the future location of our school. Currently we share a building with a church...it has been this way for about 50 years. The church is ready for us to move out, understandably so. A new place is needed for us to go to in the next 2-3 years. Our school is run by a board of 6-7 people. They make all the policy decisions and every other decision, come to think of it. The teachers were told nothing else besides just to be at the meeting.

So Thursday came and many parents were at the meeting too. For an hour each school board member got up and told us all about the property and how the Lord had been directing them to pursue the purchase of this building. They closed in prayer and that was it. They left us all hanging and flabergasted. One bold man asked for a time of Q&A, which was well received by the audience. Apparently everyone was feeling a little outraged. In everyone's comments one could pick up that no one thought this location was good, we all would have liked to have known about this before, and the board may not get much support in this decision. The board announced that they were closing on this tomorrow. "Please wait!" "If the Lord has opened this door for you now, don't you think He can keep it open?" Things get confusing when you throw in all the "God's will" stuff, and the "let's just have faith" stuff. "If my skill as a contractor is telling me that this is a lot harder than what you're saying, does that mean my faith is not as good as yours?" If it really feels like God is opening this door, does that mean that we have to walk through it? What if it only feels that way to you 6 people on the board?

Maybe you can follow how frustrating this meeting was and how blown away everyone felt. If you can't, that's ok. I really don't expect this to be of interest to any of you. This is more of a reflection on how hard it can be when you mix worldly skills and business with people who keep telling you this is the Lord's leading and that it's a matter of faith. Yes, we can have faith that the Lord will make all things work together for good, but shouldn't we try to put our school in a safe place? And shouldn't your probable funders be told of this earlier than 12 hours before it's a done deal?

Anyway, I came to school on Friday expecting lots of opportunities to talk about this and I was not let down. It was all the staff was talking about. I believe I succeeded in keeping a civil tongue and being gracious. I had so much resolve to not get tangled up in this. Mostly because I felt like my opinion didn't really need to be heard. I don't have kids going to the school, I probably won't be working there when we move, and how is my voice entering the arena going to help rather than hurt? I believe I succeeded. I did get tired of the tension. I think it'll be there again tomorrow at school when everyone finds out that they signed the papers. It's a big deal and people are worked up. We'll see what happens. It's weird but I came out of all this feeling humbled. That would require more explanation that I won't get into. But, I'm pretty sure people thought I was boring to talk to because I wasn't going to get worked up. I'd rather be boring than singled out as someone who's leading the opposition. In this case I think there is an opposition that needs to be lead, in a godly manner. I'm just so happy that I'm not that person.