FCS Blog

Lessons from the Shore: God's Beautiful Plan in Every Grain

The beach is such a special place! We love watching families play
together, kids chase waves, and building sandcastles. But some of the
best moments happen when we sit quietly by the water and feel the

waves roll over our feet.

Sometimes those waves are soft and gentle. Other times they crash
hard and soak us with water and sand. Both kinds of waves teach us
something important about life. God gives us calm, peaceful times
and also harder times that help us grow stronger. The Bible reminds
us that "we know that in all things God works for the good of those
who love him, who have been called according to his purpose"

(Romans 8:28).

What's really amazing is how every tiny grain of sand helps make the
beach beautiful. God uses wind, water, and time to shape each grain
and bring it to the shore. The psalmist knew how special each grain is
when he wrote, "How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How
vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber
the grains of sand—when I awake, I am still with you" (Psalm 139:17-18).
He does the same thing with us and our school. Every hard time, every
happy time, and every day of growing helps God build something
wonderful. Every student, teacher, and family in our school is like one
of those important grains of sand in God's big picture. When we all
come together, we make something beautiful that shows God's love.
Just like Jesus taught us about building on a strong foundation,
"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them
into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The
rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat
against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on
the rock" (Matthew 7:24-25). Through easy times and tough times, God
is always working to build something great in us and through us.

Blessings,
Valerie Rose

Rest for the Weary

I was an infantryman in the Army when I first enlisted. Basic training was a
lesson in being weary. We were up at 4:30 am getting ready for our physical
training from 5:00-6:00 am. We were afforded 30 minutes to get showered,
changed, and have our barracks ready for inspection before breakfast. The day
was spent in training of some sort. Some of this training was physical such as a
ruck march or obstacle course or bayonet training. Some of this training was
classroom training such as map reading, learning the rules of war, or learning
some basic customs and courtesies. Each of these carry a type of weariness,
either physical or mental. Each of these required a time of rest afterward.
We just finished the school year. Many were weary at the end of the year. Many
parents were weary of getting their child(ren) up and ready to get to school on
time. Weary of helping them finish homework and projects. Many students
were weary for the same reasons. A couple of teachers were weary after pouring
into the lives of these students, their families, and each other. It has been a

pleasure working with everyone, but it can be wearisome.

Summertime is a time to get some of that rest. It is a time to make some great
memories. It is a time to look back and look forward. It is a time to be thankful.
Our walk with God can be wearisome at times, also. We expect things to happen
one way, but they end up another. We work for God, but no one appreciates it.
We pray for something, but we don’t see it happen when we want or how we
want it. Galatians 6:9 says, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the
proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Even though we don’t
always get what we want when we want it, we need to keep in mind that God’s
timing is always the right time, and God’s way of answering our prayers is always

better than we expect.

We do not always understand why we are going through these things at the
time, but we can look back on it days, months, or years later and get a better

perspective. Do not grow weary. Trust and obey.

God Bless,
David