At last nights Legacy Christian Academy's annual 'Legacy gala, we learned to walk by faith and not by sight

6 Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. 7 For we live by faith, not by sight. 8 We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.2 Corinthians 5:7-8

Last night, my wife and I attended the Legacy Christian Academy 'Legacy Gala' where we heard wonderful stories of how this school was formed. We listened as Jake shared how a few men, with little knowledge starting a school, fervently prayed for the possibility of starting a Christian school in the northwestern suburb of Andover. He shared some amazing stories how God has used this school in the lives of the students attending. 

Jake shared how in front of Legacy Christian Academy are 'standing stones' that now serve as a reminder of those faith-based stories that made up this school. 

Through the years, there have been tragedies that have taken young lives way too soon. From our daughter's sudden loss in the early morning hours of June 10th, 2007 to a much earlier time when the headmaster's oldest daughter was struck by a car while crossing the street to get to classes at what was then Meadow Creek Christian school. 

Jake announced at the Gala that he had just met that afternoon with the student body of Legacy to share the tragic news of another student that occurred last night when two twin sisters returning from a softball game were sideswiped by a truck, One of the sister's survive while the other did not. 

At the time he met with those students, there was a potential new student touring the school when he came across this student body huddling in small groups praying with bibles open while expressing sorrow in words and tears. This young man was so touched by the genuine compassion he saw expressed by these students that he told Jake, " at my other school when a kid dies they make an announcement over the loudspeaker and then encourage you to come to the office if you need counseling." What he saw through this student body was opposite anything he had ever experienced before.

As most of us who have experienced losses will testify, life is uncertain. James 4:14 reminds us with these words, ' whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.' 

Yet, it is easy to forget that thought as we continue to make plans for family vacations while setting aside long-term retirement savings and making plans for what we might do once we retire. We sort of put out into the distant future the inevitable- including the painful realities of grief and sorrow.

I was reminded through my other conversations that what our kids really need more than the shiny toy, or that college fund, are parents who love each other who are willing to find ways of keeping their marriage strong even in the face of tragedy. They need parents staying committed to our Lord, loving each other more fervently as the years go by, and willing to walk by faith, not by sight. 

They need to see a living example of what it means to get up every Sunday and place one foot in front of the other and worship Jesus even when they don't 'feel' like it. Our children are looking to us as parents to blaze a trail for them to follow.

This is the way that legacies are made. Legacy Christian Academy continues to be a beacon of light in the Northwestern suburbs, not only giving them a strong academic foundation for success but a faith that will stand the test of time. Having been part of this incredible school through my wife's former job as Librarian and seeing our two kids grow through this school, I highly recommend Legacy as my first choice for Christian education.

Lastly, I ask you to pray for the family experiencing this unthinkable tragedy and for the student body as they come to grips with the realities of grief and that they will be reminded to 'walk by faith, not by sight.'