By Janene Dubbeld
The many scents and smells of the holidays are already beginning. Along with them comes the aroma which is always pleasing, and never grows old – the aroma of a grateful heart. The memories which spill over from those who possess it bring smiles to the lips and tugs to the heartstrings. Annette and her family have many, but they share one special golden nugget …
The bedroom held an air of discouragement as Annette followed doctor’s orders for “complete bed rest.” This pregnancy had been a difficult one; and to add insult to injury, the news had come that her other children now had no school to return to in the fall. It had been closed.
Christian education was a commitment for their family. She and her husband were both blessed by sacrificial parents who ensured their individual, educational journeys. Now, they had chosen to pass on this legacy to their children. But money was scarce and school was scheduled to start in just a few weeks.
With a certain amount of trepidation, Annette’s husband decided to stop in and check out another Christian school in the area. Liking what he saw, he made an “on the spot decision” to go ahead a put down a deposit they really didn’t have and returned home with the paperwork. A closer look into the financial requirements of the school made their stomach drop to their toes in a hurry. Picking up the phone, they made what they supposed would be a “final” phone call. Something else would have to be done.
However, miracle moments began to unfold that brought assurance of the Hand of Another present in this situation. The deposit money actually turned out to be a needed step of faith. The school wanted to have the Dad and the children come by … perhaps a scholarship would be available. And so it was, two boys — one in his last year of middle school, one in his first — found the team who believed.
These children were new – they didn’t know a person at the place. As soon as they arrived, other young people were welcoming them, introducing themselves, making them feel like they belonged.
The teachers were a group with an amazing quality. Somehow they looked beyond the challenges of the present and saw the opportunities of the future. They surrounded those boys with so much love, prayer, and belief that their lives were forever positively affected. There wasn’t a question in their minds; they knew those teachers believed in them, and in what God would help them become. Daily they taught them the normal school subjects – but underneath, beyond the fundamentals, they instilled eternal values that would create success
Teachers and students made lasting footprints in the educational journey that year. Memories were made and life focus steadied. Who gave to the scholarship fund? The blessed family will never know, but will forever be thankful. Without the givers, it simply wouldn’t have been possible for their children to receive.
Someday in Heaven when the mist is rolled away, everything will be revealed and eternal thanks will go on, and on, and on.