Here’s a guest post by Michelle DeSilva, Principal at College Park Elementary School and spouse of Pastor DeSilva.
Train up a child in the way, he should go; when he is old, he will not depart from it.
Proverbs 22:6
Pastor Glenn and I are products of Adventist Christian Education. Often, we reminisce about the great sacrifice that our parents made in providing us with a Christian Education. Even their own families did not see the financial value in our parents’ decision to send Glenn, me, and our siblings to Adventist schools to be educated. As with most items, church members’ opinions on the value of Adventist Education vary. Some view it as an indispensable help in raising their children for Jesus, others view it as a sought-after but unaffordable luxury, while others consider it a defective, lesser tool. Each of us approaches Adventist Education with our personal bias shaped by our life’s story. Allow me to share a little of my family’s story.
Many years ago, my father was introduced to the Adventist message. His newfound faith immediately impacted our family. He wanted his three children to grow in the knowledge of scripture and hold fast to the hope he had acquired in Jesus. In quick succession, we went from nominal Catholics to weekly attending Sabbath School, Adventurers, Children’s Choir, and AY meetings. In my little mind, things were changing at whirlwind speed, but the greatest change was yet to come. My parents needed to ensure that we were receiving consistent messaging, and so came ‘the great move’ to allow us to attend an Adventist school. It mattered not to my parents that we looked different from all the students, that we needed uniforms, that my mother needed to learn to drive, that we might not have access to the latest teaching tools, or that my dad needed to take on additional jobs. All that mattered was that we would be in a place where “iron sharpens iron” (Proverbs 27:17) for God’s glory. My parents’ commitment to Adventist Education changed our family’s trajectory and made a lasting impact that continues to impact future generations.
Several years ago, I attended an education sabbath day where one parent shared his rationale for sending his children to Adventist schools. He invited us to consider 1 Samuel 13. Saul and the Israelites were outnumbered and fearful; they were about to face a superior, well-equipped Philistine army. Tucked near the end of this chapter are the following verses:
Not a blacksmith could be found in the whole land of Israel, because the Philistines had said, ‘Otherwise the Hebrews will make swords or spears!’ So all Israel went down to the Philistines to have their plow points, mattocks, axes and sickles sharpened.
(1 Samuel 13:19-20, NIV)
Imagine the ridiculousness of this situation. God’s chosen people could not sharpen their weapons, so they counted on their enemies to sharpen them. It’s safe to assume that no Israelite ever walked away from a Philistine blacksmith with a truly sharp tool. And yet, if we believe the proverb that “iron sharpens iron” many of us find ourselves in the same absurd predicament when we place the malleable minds of our most precious in the hands of ‘the enemy camp’ and assume they will be able to withstand the ‘sharpening’ they receive while still remaining true to Jesus and His teachings.
Adventist schools are not perfect; my family encountered seasons of frustration and disappointment. In these times, one thing remained constant: imperfect teachers planted seeds of faith in our lives. My parents strongly believed that if they did their part, God would do the rest, supersede all human failings, and eventually bring their children into a saving relationship with Jesus. Praise God, today all three of us continue to claim Jesus as our Saviour. We have seen the wisdom of placing our children in Adventist schools. We join our parents in praying that our children will meet Jesus and one day see the wisdom of placing their children in Adventist schools.