This time of the year has always been exciting, stressful, and busy; however, one more emotion can be added to the list, hopeful. It gives us an opportunity to move forward and learn from the mistakes that may have been made in the previous year, and try our best not to repeat them in the coming year. For many students, school may be a dread, but deep down, it has a way of giving your life purpose again. After a long summer filled with boredom, students look forward to learning new things that will help them to grow. That sounds so wonderful in a perfect world, but for many students, it isn’t so.

We hope that this will be the year that we find our way. If students are not living for God, doing school may be more challenging. School may not always be easy, because while you are in school, you are also living life outside of school. I remember that in high school, the only thing that I wanted to do was to get good grades so that I could change my future. People said many hurtful things to me and didn’t even realize the impact that their words had on my life. It was enough for me to be determined to make a difference. If someone said that I couldn’t do something, I was bound and determined to prove them wrong and succeed. Do I regret their negative words? Not now, but then, oh then…

I had a secret weapon to fight their perception of me: it was the word of God. He said that I was worth saving. He cherished me enough to comfort me when I was going through the darkest days of my life. In the late night, pity parties that I had, that was supposed to be prayer, he let me know that he would never leave me or forsake me. He encouraged me to stand strong and to put him first in all things, and he would give me the desires of my heart.

I don’t regret the many tears that was shed while I waited for his promise to come to pass. I now know that those tears are stored in heaven, and he was able to pick up someone as broken as I was and shape me into a vessel of honor. For that, I am forever grateful.

It is my prayer that students will have a blessed year in school. Lord, keep them safe, and dispatch your angels to watch over them as they go through their day. In this week’s Lattereign, we are reminded that no matter what laws are passed, There will always be prayer in the schools.