First day of school

Do you remember your first day of school? When I was growing up there was no kindergarten in the public schools. Unless you went to a private kindergarten your first school experience was the first grade.

I remember well the day I started attending Bush Hill Elementary School. It was awful! I remember the fear, separation anxiety, and the feeling in my stomach like I was about to barf. I hated it.

This was complicated by the fact that many of my classmates were old hands at the school thing. They had attended kindergartens like the one offered by Virginia Hills Baptist Church. (In fact, one my classmates in the first grade was a graduate of the VHBC program. He is still a good friend today) Many of the kids in my class had learned socialization skills, the alphabet, and their numbers. I had not.

So, this shy, introverted kid, was behind everyone else at the beginning. It didn’t help that I had a teacher who resembled the wicked witch of the west. For the first three years I hated school. I was never happier than when the school bell rang on Friday afternoon. And I was never unhappier than Sunday nights when I had to go to bed, knowing that the next day I would have to return to that scary place.

It wasn’t until the fourth grade that I started to catch up, enjoy learning, and feel comfortable. I share all of this because this is the first week of our church’s preschool. Some kids come in all smiles, ready for the new school year. Others must be pried away from their parents. The halls are filled today with the sound of crying.

I empathize with the criers. I can relate. Change is hard, especially when it involves separating from what is familiar and comfortable. When I hit the first grade, I was no longer able to watch cartoons all day. And mom wasn’t around to pick me up when I fell. And I certainly didn’t want that old lady kissing my boo boos.

But think of what I would have missed if I hadn’t started school. I would have missed making friends with my VHBC kindergarten graduate. (A friendship that is now in its 58th year) I would have missed the joy of learning to read, playing kickball at recess, and falling in love for the first time with Susie Beth Mellencamp. (Or whatever her name was)

We are in a season of change at Virginia Hills. And it is hard! Just like going to school for the first time, we are experiencing the loss of that which is familiar and comfortable. The future is uncertain as we look to a building that is different from what we are used to. As I listen to the cries of my preschool friends, I am reminded of Jesus’ words in John 16:33, “In this world you will have trouble, but take heart! I have overcome the world.”