Class 2013 June 3, 2009

Yesterday, the 8th grade class received awards. Some received merit roll, honor roll, most improved, most athletic, biggest flirt, best smile, participation in National Junior Honor Society, and most improved in a subject, just to name a few. I talked to several of these awesome kids and told them how proud I was of them. That is something that I am sure most of them do not hear enough off these days. I could brag all day on this particular class, but we all know of them. This was a class that most of the teachers loved. When these kids went on from elementary school to junior high, they were missed. During awards assemblies for the past few years, they were a class that succeeded in receiving more awards on the honor roll, more (over 90) in to National Junior Honor Society, and were bragged on by almost everyone.

This class, the class of 2013 at Monroe Local Schools is also the first class to go from Kindergarten all the way through to 12th grade as a class in this district. The athletes in this class are talented in many areas. As the 7th grade football team, they were undefeated. As the 8th grade football team, they lost one game. There were two boys as wrestlers that qualified for the National Tournament for Junior High School wrestling, and as track and field goes, they had an unbeatable relay team this year. The high school teachers and coaches can not wait to get their hands on their minds, bodies, and souls.

Does that make this class great? Does it make them better people? No. There are still the troublemakers in the class, there are underachievers, drug addicts, truants. They are still kids and still trying to figure out who they are, what they want to be, and who is dating whom. It’s a crazy mixed up world that they live in. They are wanting acceptance by their parents, by their friends, by the world. They put their hopes and dreams in something that isn’t eternal. I pray for these kids every day. I pray that I may say or do something that will help them on this journey and that they have a personal relationship with Christ. Some do, some do not. I am only one person, but God calls on each of us to touch the lives of all those around us by being a holy and acceptable living sacrifice. The acceptance these kids and anyone needs is to not worry about being accepted, but to accept Christ. I Timothy 4:9 – 10 states, “This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance (and for this we labor and strive), that we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, and especially of those who believe.”

I hope that each of you will pray for all those who you come in contact with. Pray that God will reveal himself through your life, the only Bible some will every read.