At last minute Shannon decided to chime in on our school choice series!
By Shannon Popkin
When my daughter Lindsay was in kindergarten, we were driving home from school one day when suddenly she gasped—a horrified expression frozen on her face. I asked what was wrong, and she said, “Mommy! I just realized something. We never; I mean never remember to pray at school! Not even one time have we prayed before our lunch!”
I wasn’t sure whether to be more concerned that she had just noticed (it was October), or that she had completely forgotten to pray for so many days in a row!
When we first decided to send our kids to a public school, it wasn’t because we thought they were strong or ready to withstand the world’s philosophies. In kindergarten, Lindsay wasn’t even aware than other people didn’t thank God for providing their daily needs! We placed our kids in public school because we wanted them to build spiritual muscles, and the best way to build strength is to press into resistance, not withdraw from it.
Every year since kindergarten, following Jesus down the halls of a public school becomes more challenging, more costly, and more demanding. It’s as if each grade level adds more weight to the barbell, requiring our kids to flex their spiritual muscles in order to stand for Jesus.
But by training them in this environment, we’re preparing our kids for the world they will soon step into on their own. The battle is heating up and when they leave home, we want our kids to be ready to stand firm in the midst of a crooked and depraved generation (Philippians 2:14), rather than joining many of today’s twenty-somethings who put Christianity on the shelf.
Are third graders too young to try their faith on for size? We don’t think so. In fact, sometimes our children put us to shame with their bold witness and passion for Christ.
Now, there will be times that our kids cave in to temptation or fall to peer pressure; Ken and I know that. But we want their failures to happen while they’re still at home–where we can offer extra doses of support and truth. Dinner around the table or car rides after practice often become coaching sessions. We talk through what happened, what caused it, and what there is to learn about a life of faith.
Obviously Ken and I shouldn’t be too dogmatic about our public school decision. We have yet to graduate one of our kids, which means we still have a lot to learn about parenting! Sometimes (like when our son was reprimanded for telling younger kids on the playground that they were going to hell) our confidence wavers. Other times (like when our child was rejected) we feel burdened. At some point, if our child begins to flounder, we may need to improvise. Public school isn’t the only school choice that God leads his people to, but it is where he has led us for now.
When Jesus gave Christians their marching orders—to go into all the world and proclaim the gospel, he promised to be with us always (Matthew 28:20). That promise goes for kids, stepping onto a yellow school bus, and for their disciple-making parents who will be there when they step off.
Jesus is with us! We have nothing to fear.
SHANNON POPKIN is a writer and speaker from Grand Rapids, MI. She and her husband Ken have been married for 17 years, and in that time their kids (ages 15, 13, and 9) have diligently plucked them clean of pride, but have also filled their nest with deep joy and satisfaction. Connect with Shannon at her blog, Tiny Paragraphs.