Thursday, December 27, 2018

The One Hundred Club

First semester grades are in the book! This is from 12/16/14!

We took our Bible final yesterday. By 'we' I mean all the WCS students between grades 6-12. My classes reviewed in my room starting at 6 AM, going in two shifts, first for the high school kids in Gospels and then at 7:00 for my eighth graders who spend the whole year on the book of Luke.  I brought breakfast- fruit and cereal bars and Wheat Thins- and the big one, pots of Starbucks combined with NestlĂ©'s flavored creamers. My estimate is that about forty-five of my ninety-five students were present at least for a part of that time. My experience is that food attracts the numbers which in this instance is a double blessing for the kids. You never know who is going to show up for these review sessions. Often, it's the ones who don't need it while the ones in desperate straits are the ones conspicuous by their absences.

There were five kids in particular I watched for; Sophia, Sydney, Catherine, Chloe', and Kirk. Two of the five came. There's a reason I was looking for this quintet. You see, all of them made 100s in both of the nine weeks grading periods which make up the first semester. So, their efforts can only lead to two outcomes on their report card- maintain or go down. They cannot improve their marks. And yet, even though they have one hundred per cent averages, they haven't been perfect. Each of them has missed at least several questions this year. But due to rounding up and the extra credit they receive by making cards for sick and grieving folks, it looks like perfection. 

As believers, we all struggle with sin. Some are more devout than others and some are better at resisting temptation than the rest of us but all are dented and chipped and marred and scratched by our transgressions. My car looks brand new from a distance but a close inspection tells the truth. Some of us do a better job of walking in the light than the rest of us but we all have this in common- we are lost without the blood of Jesus. Romans 3:23 reminds us that, "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Not some or the majority- all. Even the most saintly in our midst are flawed and possibly the most likely to admit it. We are all imperfect. We all need Jesus, no matter how righteous we appear on the world's report card. 

An update on the two of the five whose finals I've graded- both made 100%. What a shock! One of them came to the review and one didn't so I'm not sure how much it helped. I'm confident the other three will have 100s as well when my grading is completes. But do you know the best thing about these five young scholars? They are all great kids and tremendous representatives for Westbury Christian School and their families. And that can't be measured on any report card.

Applicable quote of the day:

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