This morning I had the privilege of joining some of families at a 25th anniversary celebration for their church. One of our Dads described to me research that was done on how being thankful has been proven to have positive effects on the body and for medical recovery. It is amazing how simply obeying scripture can be found to be a great blessing, for as Paul commanded us: “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:16–18, NKJV). How appropriate it is as we are about to celebrate Thanksgiving that we take time to be thankful to God for His multitude of blessings. I am personally very thankful for the inheritance of faith we have received and celebrate at Fortis Academy. It is a faith that began with Adam, was fulfilled in Christ, and is worked out in history through the gracious guidance of God toward His complete victory manifested on Earth over all sin and evil.
On Friday I shared with some of the students that history becomes exciting when we are able to God’s sovereign and gracious activity through it. Just like everything in creation itself which declares God’s invisible attributes, God’s character, nature and activity are stamped throughout history. Christianity is a wonderful journey of always getting to know and see our Lord more. One of our prayers at Fortis Academy is that our students’ eyes would be open to see God revealed in creation and history, and the key to this is for them to discover the Lord revealed in scripture. I remember well when I powerfully met the Lord at 19 and began reading scripture with a passion. There were many scriptures that speak about creation declaring the glory and attributes of God, but I was not able to see it. Because scripture declared it to be so, I began praying that the Lord would open my eyes to see it for myself. The scriptures opened my eyes to the possibility of seeing the Lord in a greater way, and the combined labor of prayer and education made it a reality. As I continued to read scripture, I became immersed in history that was explained by God that declared His character and nature. Prayer and education did the same with extrabiblical history (it is not secular history but history that is not covered in the actual Bible, but where God is just as present and active). Our hearts’ prayer is that God would reveal Himself to our children in all of their academic studies in a way that captivates them with His goodness and beauty.
With that vision in mind, I am personally very thankful for our whole Fortis community. We have a wonderful faculty and staff that love the Lord and our children. We have incredible students who are our privilege and delight to educate. Most importantly, we have incredible families who lay down their lives in many ways to make the vision of our school a reality. In all of this we see the wonderful grace and presence of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Happy Thanksgiving!
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