Memories cascade like a waterfall when I think of my time at WCA. This flood of memories is the strong current of the Lord’s goodness manifested to the faithful community of Westside Christian Academy. Upon reflection, I can say that there is one affection that unites them all, and Hebrews 13:16 captures it well: “And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.”
Some of my earliest memories include sweet times of prayer. Especially at the beginning, there were many times when we thought, the Lord raises up his people to do jobs for which they don’t seem qualified. We see this often in the Bible, so why wouldn’t we expect it in our lives as well? Covered in and engaged in much prayer, a group of inexperienced, oftentimes unskilled yet willing laborers were called. Often we would find ourselves in challenging situations. Whenever a challenge arose or a seemingly unsolvable issue stopped us in our tracks, the words I remember hearing are, “Close the door; we’ll pray.” I remember sweet times of prayer in offices and classrooms, in hallways and doorways. The strong current of prayer steadily began all those years ago and continues to bathe the community of Westside Christian Academy today.
Memories of teaching and shepherding students saturate my mind. Reflecting on the daily interactions with students, I become overwhelmed when I think that I “get to” work and serve at a place where the gospel is central, where truth, goodness, and beauty are the direction of our affections, and where families are committed to love and serve the Lord. It is a privilege to point students to the One who is to be praised. I can especially remember one class when we were studying Dickens’ Great Expectations. The students were deeply thinking about how Pip might have responded to what he had been given if he had had faith in Jesus. The students then reflected on all they had been given and one said, “We should sing the doxology.” Before I knew it, the refreshing words were lifted up to our good God, “Praise God from whom all blessings flow….” The soft tones of the students’ spontaneous response echoed in the classroom. Memories like these bless me often, and the Lord continues to provide more with each passing year.
Parents contribute to my reservoir of memories. Perhaps it’s a prerequisite for parents of WCA to be people who do good and share. Like drops of rain, the service of the parents pours into my mind. After school one random day, a mom walked into my class with a meal. She said she simply wanted to bless my family. One parent made lunches once a week for her son’s teacher. Another parent would come in and make copies and change bulletin boards for all the teachers who needed help. On and on the droplets of kindness fall refreshingly from my memory. I can give testimony of these blessed acts of kindness and sharing that happened just last week.
My deep river of memories of WCA continues to meander with strength and momentum, for the WCA community is one that pleases God with its generous sharing and sacrificial goodness. I am blessed by the memories old and new of our school.
