I've attended many different types of Principals meetings over the past 30 years, and a regular part of many of those meetings has been "Sharing Joys and Concerns." Lutheran Principals are great people to be around - they're open. We don't hold much back, and Lutheran Principals are always there to build one another up, to pray for each other, to help carry a burden.

 

Over the years I have had kids hurt pretty badly in farm accidents, I've visited the cancer ward at Children's Hospitals, been to the ER many times with parents and worked with a student who had a stroke. Several years ago, I helped a dad break the news to his four children in my office that their 3 month old brother had died of SIDS that afternoon - then together we took them down to the hospital to hold that little baby. A couple of former students have gone to be with Jesus. But as I've listened at meetings, other Principals have often dealt with far greater sorrows and hurts.

 

Death came much closer this year, and he came early...on Labor Day. Early, also, because he came to an 8th grader. I prefer the way Lindsey's mom put it, "the angels carried Lindsey away to be with Jesus." But it was still "away" - and there lies the sting. God didn't create us to be "away" - to be separated, but through our own sinfulness we have separated ourselves from God. Thanks be to God that He did not allow that separation to remain but sent His Son, Jesus, to reconcile us, to bring us who were far away back to Himself.

 

An ATV accident took Lindsey from us on Labor Day, the day before school started. Then about a month later, we lost a recent student, Heidi, in a car accident. She had just (JUST) graduated from college and started a great job.

 

Within 24 hours of Heidi's death, Dave passed away suddenly from an aneurysm. Now I know he was 50, but that's still 'death coming early' in my book. Dave's daughter, Laura, was a classmate of Heidi's - the last time Dave spoke with her was on the phone to talk about coming home from school in Colorado for Heidi's funeral. Laura came home for two funerals. She and her classmates sat together at Heidi's funeral...then those same classmates sat with Laura at her dad's funeral the next day. This was our first two months of the 2006-07 school year.

 

I attended several other funerals this past year. Some, how do we say it - that were 'expected'? I guess that makes Lindsey's, Heidi's and Dave's funerals "unexpected." Forgive me. You know what I'm struggling with here...because you are a Lutheran Principal and you share others' burdens. Incredible as it may seem, I've had a great year...and you know why that is, also. I get to tell people that God did not create us to be 'away' from Him.

 

One night in early March, I got a phone call from my nineteen year old daughter. She and four high school friends all home on Spring Break (but stuck in St. Joe, MI instead of going to FL) had headed up to Grand Rapids for a concert. Just an hour away and the roads were clear except for some 'black ice' around Holland where her car spun out in front of a semi. She described how they saw the semi's headlights coming at them before..."Dad, I don't know what happened next or how, but it was like we got pushed sideways over into the guardrail, and I knew we were going to be all right." And they were. The angels came and pushed those kids safely over to the side of the road. Shook up but all right. And she was worried I'd be angry with her for damaging the car... Incredible...but then you all understand because you understand a Father's love.

  

Hey, have a good summer. Hug your kids - those at home and those at school. Thank you for being a burden bearer and holding up those in need. God bless.