School has started

 School starts this week in our area.  I am reminded at this time of year of a number of different things and I wonder if I might share a few of them with you.

I am reminded that not everyone starts school at the same level.  Some start coming with the nice new backpack and new shoes and new everything and others come with their older brother's clothes, a back pack that is well worn and a pair of shoes that has no material over their toe.  I wonder what the people of God are doing to make sure that each student has what they need to be able to learn.

I am reminded that the school is a place where doctrine is taught.  They of course would not say this, but they are trying to teach the kids about how to answer the most important questions of life.  I wonder if we are doing this with our own children to prepare them for how what they hear at school might be different from what they hear at home and at church.

I am reminded that school is an increasingly difficult place to be a Christian - both as a student and as a teacher.  I wonder if we are praying regularly for those who are fellow believers in our school system and if we are striving to encourage our young people toward Christ-likeness even in their school's.

Pressure

 I am reminded from time to time of various lessons we can see in the world around us.  This past weekend I was camping and where we were camping there was a post for 4 campsites to hook water up to.  This meant 4 spickets for the water hoses to connect.  3 of them were connected.  When I was using the last spicket to get water the other three stopped spitting out so much water.  They each had pressure built up to the point where the line was losing water out the top of the spout.  But when I turned on the fourth valve some of that pressure released and there was a little less water shooting out.  I am reminded that in some ways this is true in life.  Each of us has a pressure valve - a limit to how much pressure we can manage.  God has created us with these limits.  Each of us has a different valve than the next person, God has created us unique and my pressure may not be your pressure.  But when I can help release some of your pressure it makes your load just a little easier.  I may not be able to take the whole burden, nor am I meant to, but I can help alleviate the pressure a bit by bearing what parts I can on your behalf.

Would you look today for someone whose burden you can help bear.  In doing this Galatians says we will fulfill the law of Christ! (Galatians 6:2)