Unexpected Blessings
Jun 11, 2023 | by The Fellowship
Sometimes, seemingly bad things happen so God can pour out His blessings!
Our two children had been homeschooled most of their middle school and first high school years, then transitioned into a small Christian high school that had a combination of in person and at home classes. They both were attending this school when COVID drastically changed so many things about how all of our young people were able to interact with society!
Like most schools, their high school required staying at home for a time, then gradually brought students back into the classroom with all of the caveats and usual “precautions.” Upon her return, our daughter was happy to once again be around her classmates, but began to struggle emotionally as well as with motivation to study. At this time, the school was only meeting in person one or two days each week. Being very social and intelligent, she really started to flounder in this setting. Our son ultimately chose to leave this school after they returned post-COVID.
By the end of her junior year, the need to find a different school was irrefutable. This was especially heartbreaking as it was right before her senior year! There were many tears and some sleepless nights. With this large burden, my wife and I prayed ardently for God to guide us, give us His Wisdom, and help our daughter in this very significant time in her life.
We interviewed with several excellent Christian schools, all of whom had a place for our daughter, but none seemed to be the right fit. Like her previous school, most offered a combination of at home and classroom learning. My wife and I knew our daughter needed more interaction with students and teachers to thrive. Just like with so many young people, the COVID lock-downs had taken a huge toll on our daughter by creating feelings of isolation.
Just a few months prior, one of our daughter’s close friends left the same private school for a public charter school. We assumed this public school would not accept all the course credits from our daughter’s non-accredited private school. If so, our daughter would need to repeat coursework already successfully completed. So, it was not on our radar. My wife and I continued our fervent prayers for God’s will in this very difficult situation.
Then we discovered that a special lady from church worked at this public school and were able to reach out for help with our decision to move from a private to a public school. That is when we found this public school offered a Classical form of education, just like the school she had been attending. Furthermore, it met five days per week, was fully accredited and even had school clubs and sports teams! Our hearts soared! My wife feverishly applied to this school, the third application she completed in less than one month.
All our daughter’s course work was either from homeschooling or a non-accredited private school. She was, based on age, one full year ahead for her grade level. So all the transcripts had to be evaluated for our daughter to be classified a senior. Again, prayers stormed heaven as we trusted God for His provision! What joy to very quickly learn she had been accepted as a senior and would be graduating at the end of the year!
Our daughter eagerly drove herself to this new school five days every week and seemed to be genuinely excited for this change in her life. God’s hand was on her as she quickly made new friends and re-united with previous friends from the old school. Not only was this school much more rigorous, it also had phenomenal teachers and administrators! Every time upon encountering a staff member, we heard how much they enjoyed teaching and interacting with our daughter. She made many great friends and was lovingly accepted into the mix of 37 senior class members. During the course of the school year, we were able to host many of her classmates at our home for social events and get to know these fine young people. We continually praised God for His hand in this tough situation.
During her senior year, our daughter was required to complete a graduate thesis and ultimately was asked to present this significant work to her teachers, administrators, and peers. We - as proud parents - were invited to attend! And to think that just a year prior, we had no idea where she would attend school.
May 27th was her graduation day that began with a baccalaureate breakfast for the graduates and their parents. It was one of the happiest days of our lives! Our daughter flourished academically, emotionally, and spiritually in this final year of her high school education. She was lovingly and fully accepted by her new classmates and friends. What the enemy meant for evil, God meant for good!
For it is God who works in you to will and to act
according to his good purpose.
Philippians 2:13