At the beginning of each school year, we have staff meetings to get ready for the next school term. When I prepare for those meetings, I ask God what message would He like me to share to encourage our staff. Obviously, this year was different than any other we have experienced. We did remote learning from March to June, and we were doing everything we could to bring our children back to school.
Many things went into that process. We obviously missed the children, and we felt they needed us, too. As we made plans to reopen the school, roadblocks stood in the way. We wanted to keep the children safe, but we also wanted them to be able to be children. We wanted to hear their laughter and see the light bulb go on as they learned something new.
Well, we made a plan that we felt would be safe and followed the CDC guidelines. We marked off the school for social distancing and put sanitizer in every room. We ordered masks, sanitizer, toilet paper, hand soap, and other important items. I must admit I was not happy about wearing masks all day and having to do things differently. I should have just been grateful that we were able to start school.
We were almost ready to start the year. Then Hurricane Isaias hit. Honestly, it was not a bad hurricane, but it dumped a lot of water. It was not nearly as destructive as Hurricane Matthew or Florence. Our academy roof has been in bad shape for several years. We have patched it and prayed over it trying to postpone getting a new roof. However, Hurricane Isaias dumped a lake on top of our building. When we came in to check things out, we called in our staff and did some major clean up. It had stopped raining outside, but it was raining inside. I guess it is time for a new roof!
The staff members that were able to make it worked all day to clean up the mess. I started feeling sorry for myself. I was tired and frustrated, and to make matters worse, I was having a pity party.
Mind you! I should have been thankful. I wasn’t wading in water nor was I watching chairs float down the hallway. Memories flashed from the other two floods we had been in. It was much better to have water coming from the ceiling than mud coming in from the streets.
Little did I know that the message God wanted me to share with His staff was a message for me. We have two days of organized meetings. The first part of each day is spent with a devotion. On the first morning we did a character study and our staff, including me, shared an area we were struggling with. This was a very humbling experience for all of us.
On the second day, I had planned for us to watch a documentary that I felt would minister to us all. It is called the “The Insanity of God.” It is a story of faith and persecution. As I watched the movie, I could not take my eyes and heart away from it. I watched as it told of this missionary couple’s pilgrimage. The documentary had been described as “the gripping, narrative account of a personal pilgrimage into some of the toughest places on earth, combined with sobering and insightful stories of the remarkable people of faith Nik and Ruth encountered on their journeys, will serve as a powerful course of revelation, growth, and challenge for anyone who wants to know whether God truly is enough.”
I originally wanted to show this DVD because I felt it may make us less negative about what is going on in our world. I also wanted us to be able to appreciate our faith and the freedoms we still have to share the Gospel or even go to church. I wanted us all to be thankful for the problems that we have. It could be so much worse. I also wanted us to realize the sacrifices other Christians are making around the world. I did not realize how this movie would touch my life.
I watched intently as Nik and Ruth Ripkin faced difficulty after difficulty. I was glued to the movie as different people from different countries were sharing about their persecution. The church was thriving under persecution. They have so much more zeal than I do, and I have the freedom to witness and worship. In one instance, a young boy came to visit his father in prison. It had been a long time since he had seen him. His father laid on the table beaten and frail because he refused to deny Christ. His eight-year-old son said, “I am so proud of you.” Would I be that brave? Have I taught my children to be so courageous?
In Somalia, a whole generation of Christians was gunned down in the streets. There was story after story about persecution in the toughest areas of the world to minister.
I became convicted over my shallowness. I was feeling sorry for myself because I had to clean up some rainwater. I was complaining about wearing a mask. Yes, I was tired. Yes, I was weary. But I was not the kind of weary the people in this documentary were. They did not know from day to day if they would live or die. It may come to that one day in America, but we are not there yet. The liberal viewpoint is taking over, but we must continue to fight for our freedoms. We cannot be lulled to sleep.
Am I willing to conquer the areas I struggle with? Am I willing to be uncomfortable for my faith? Am I willing to die for my Lord? Am I willing to allow my children or grandchildren to die for Jesus Christ? There were so many questions at the end of the film, but the most sobering of all was the last question. “Is Jesus worth it?” What is your answer to that question? I encourage you to watch the documentary, “The Insanity of God.”
How will you answer the question, “Is Jesus worth it?”
“He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
Matthew 10:37
Mrs. Worthington has five children and twelve grandchildren. She serves as Principal of Pathway Christian Academy in Goldsboro.