“Life is amazing. And then it’s awful. And then it’s amazing again. And in between the amazing and the awful it’s ordinary and mundane and routine. Breathe in the amazing, hold on through the awful, and relax and exhale during the ordinary. That’s just living—heartbreaking, soul-healing, amazing, awful, ordinary life. And it’s breathtakingly beautiful.” —L.R. Knost
My mission when I rose early—very early—was to tell you about an upcoming event. Before I launched into the task at hand, I checked Facebook posts and found this. The friend who shared the quote prefaced it by saying, “I have shared this before but I feel someone needs to stop and see it again.”
I took it and ran with it, because it’s a splendid intro to the little commercial-type message I was going to share. Allow me to explain.
Commercials are boring. Right? They’re not the garden variety ear-tickling, heartwarming, newsworthy headliners you look forward to when you grab a coffee (or pour a cup of tea) and sit down with the newspaper. But they are what make the world go ’round. The grease for the mechanism of living, if you will. So when I’m tasked with writing a “commercial” I really like to segue into it. In my wee hours of perusing Facebook, I saw two. Here’s an abbreviated version of the one which showed a public school history teacher who, with the permission of her principal, had all the desks removed from her classroom. During each class period she explained that if the students were able to adequately explain their right to desks, they could earn them back. No answer proved satisfactory. At the end of the day, when irate parents had gathered along with their “entitled” offspring, she opened her classroom door and welcomed 27 veterans, all in uniform and each carrying a desk. After they set the desks in rows, they lined up along a wall to give everyone a new awareness that education was a privilege, not an entitlement.
Instead of that story, though, I chose to highlight the quote about life. What I’m promoting in this little perspective is how readers can support education as it happens at a little school in our community which has defied the odds by remaining open—to offer quality education on often very limited funds.
A common misconception is that Imlay City Christian School tries to compete with the public education system. That is very far from the truth. The staff of state-certified teachers at the small interdenominational school is committed to excellence, integrating a well-rounded curriculum into and around a philosophy of excellence with a purpose. That purpose is to ground every student on the Solid Rock. The linchpin is the sure hope that the world—every square inch of it—belongs to God; and that everything we do is to bring glory back to Him. When life is amazing, when it’s awful. When it’s gut-wrenching. When it’s ordinary. When it’s breathtakingly beautiful. It all belongs to Him. And that’s rock-solid assurance. Something to stand on when everything around seems to defy that truth. That’s what the school stands for. That’s what gives the teachers the gumption to go on.
Another misconception is that all the parents, grandparents, or guardians of children at this school are wealthy. That also is very far from the truth. Most scrimp like anyone else. Some need help. They pay taxes like everyone else. Tuition does not cover the cost. Schedule a walk-through on a Wednesday morning in April and ask your questions.
A fun and relatively pain-free way people from the community and beyond can help is by attending and/or making a donation* to the annual benefit auction scheduled for Saturday, May 18. The event will be held this year at The Bells Event Center in Almont, a beautiful new facility sharing the old elementary school location with another business—a new senior living complex. Doors open at 4 p.m. The evening will include a delicious fellowship dinner as well as a silent and live auction.
If you love auctions, this is the place for you. Auction lovers come from miles around! If you come because you have a heart for Christ-centered education, thank you in advance for wanting to help raise up the next generation of leaders. If you simply want to come and experience The Bells, welcome! More information is available at the school office at 810-724-5695 or www.iccschool.net.
*Principal Karen Hibbler and the board are hoping businesses and individuals will consider making a physical or monetary donation for the auction. If the school office is aware early enough, your business and donation will be highlighted in advertising prior to the event and in our auction booklet given to all bidders. The school also offers full color advertising space within the booklet as well as table sponsorship. All donations are tax deductible. A tax receipt will be sent to you once your donation has been logged in.
Email Willene at willenetanis@aol.com.
Willene Tanis is a longtime resident of the Imlay City area and an active volunteer in the community. Many readers find her 'Perspectives' column to universal and uplifting
