When I was a junior in high school, I changed high schools, going from a small 60-member junior class to a large 488-member class.  In that time period, the consolidation of many high schools into one larger building was popular.  If you’ve ever changed schools, then you know exactly the fear that comes with the change.  Questions fly through a student’s mind at the speed of light.  Real Fears.  Anxiety can come, and if left unchecked, students can falter in their educational pursuit.  Now, never did a student refer to their high school experience as “educational pursuit,” but that is exactly what occurs within the four years as pre-teens become young adults.  Truly, as I look back on my career of serving as a high school teacher for several years, I can recall so many instances of student-growth.

• Interests flourish during high school.
• Strengths arise during high school.
• Relationships emerge during high school.
• Life-Directions come during high school.

For me, a country girl, bussing into the “big” city daily changed my life in so many wonderful ways.

• I changed sports, leaving basketball to participate in track and field.
• I changed company, going from being one in the crowd of many friends to befriending a high school classmate who BOLDLY WALKED her Christian faith.
• I changed curriculum, abstaining from the general coursework to engaging in the advanced and challenging new coursework.
• I changed clothes, leaving my regular clothing each Thursday to place on my body a JROTC uniform, one that I wore each week with pride.

When I changed from attending one rural high school to a new urban high school miles away from our home, my life changed so much, especially because of JROTC.  As I learned the skills required within this course, I rose through the ranks, working my way from Private (enlisted & in charge of no one) to the rank of Major (officer and in charge of ALL supplies).  In this leadership position, I was the one in charge of all documents related to supplies.  This task gave me duty & purpose.

Truly, in JROTC, I learned so much.

• Map Reading
• First Aid
• Leadership
• Public Speaking
• Discipline
• Obedience to Guidance
• Military Formation & also
• Marching Skills

If you know anything about military formation, then you also know about the precision required.  When learning to march, day-after-day, we practiced formation drills.  One of my favorite drills became the about-face formation drill. 

• Have you ever turned from going in one direction?
• Have you ever turned from going in one direction & suddenly turned 180 degrees, to precisely go in the opposite direction?

Imagine a company of 30+ students moving across the tennis courts, marching in one direction.  Then at the command of the leader, the entire company folds into itself in one fluid motion and continues marching in the opposite direction—perfectly in step & perfectly aligned in formation.  This maneuver was difficult to learn and to instruct, but not impossible.  Indeed, this formation maneuver was possible, but it took practice.  However, in order to practice, I first needed to BELONG, to JOIN & to BE WILLING TO STEP.

This is the way it is with faith, with walking with God.

At first—

• We are walking in the wrong direction.
• We are walking away from God.  & then suddenly
• We are led by the Holy Spirit.

We see Jesus!

& as we do

• Our faith in Jesus leads us to turn 180 degrees. &
• We begin walking in the right direction.
• We begin to walk with Jesus, going in the direction of God’s will.
• We fall in step, walking beside Him daily. &

Our continual faith in Jesus leads us toward eternity with Him!

Today, may we ask ourselves—

What does God want you to do in response to what He has done for you?

Then pause to listen as Tauren Wells sings “God’s Not Done with You.”

Be reminded of God’s Truth—

• God has a plan for each of us. &
• God will finish what He has begun.