I don’t know what 2021 has in store. Do you? If you do, let me know. Even as late as last March we had no idea how the world would be turned on its ear and our lives with it. Whether you believe what’s happened is God’s permissive will or His declarative will, we can both rest assured that what we have experienced did not catch Him by surprise.
And not knowing what’s in store is no reason to not establish New Year’s Resolutions. Planning is a part of living a godly life. Proverbs 16 provides great thoughts on our planning in submission to a God who always guides His people.
There is much talk of being ready for a new year and being rid of 2020. It’s as if things will miraculously be different beginning today. As I see it, we’re not out of the woods. As we think of goals for the new year—with the knowledge of what we didn’t know at this time last year—it is even hard to think about what the year might bring.
In the midst of this unprecedented time there are some really good things going on. Many of you have been homeschooling for years. Your year was likely impacted minimally. It might even be best described as simply a part of the ebb and flow of life. Others jumped into a homeschool lifestyle, making enormous changes. It might not have been because you wanted to, but because it seemed your best option. Commonly the most difficult times are the times when we learn the most. We might even believe now they’ll be the best of times.
I can’t tell you how many families we’ve heard from telling us two things:
- How surprised they are at what their children were learning when given visibility into their education. Many were not happy.
- How excited they were to see how much their children were learning through the rigor of a Veritas classical education.
Last month we began making phone calls to check in on many families taking classes through Veritas for the first time. We want to make sure we are doing our job and, more importantly, we want to find out how we can better serve them. Many of these families were moving from bricks and mortar schools and came because of the pandemic. What has been wonderful to hear over and over again is, 'We can’t believe how different the education is. The teachers are amazing, and the curriculum doesn’t just talk about a Christian worldview, it permeates it.' One thing this last year has done is caused parents all over the world to become more involved in their children’s education. Parents are enjoying seeing their children learn and thrive.
At Veritas not much changed when the pandemic arrived. Our students never missed classes. They still talked to their friends. Clubs went on as planned. Of course, we missed celebrating the end of the school year together at our EOYG celebration—something we hope to never skip again (you can see how wonderful this event is HERE). Aside from working remotely, we operated as if nothing had happened.
I started this as a primer for your New Year’s resolutions. Focus on them related to your children is where I’m going. So, here’s a starter set, not of resolutions but of the areas where being resolved is important:
- Worship: Worship has not become unimportant because going to church has been made difficult for some and impossible for others. What should you resolve regarding worship and the 4th Commandment?
- Christian Community: Our need for fellowship with other believers remains and the difficulty in securing it has taken a toll. What should you resolve in order to enjoy fellowship given the current conditions where you live?
- Education: What have you learned from the past year that has helped you think well about your children’s education for this year? What might you resolve then?
If we’ve learned anything from the past year, we’ve certainly learned that our families are precious and that nothing can be taken for granted. Let’s make every day count. Right now counts for eternity.
