“Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story.” Psalm 107:2

Thanksgiving: An apostle’s powerful message

By: Kevin Dunning, Bellevue Christian Head of School (kevin.dunning@bellevuechristian.org)

A blog post from “A Few Good Minutes”

Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. Colossians 2:6-7

The apostle’s powerful message to the Colossians is particularly a lesson for all of us this season. Paul reminds us that we should be “abounding in thanksgiving.” Few of us are familiar with “abounding.” According to Merriam-Webster, its usage is in the bottom ten percent of words in the English language. So, for those of you not familiar with the word, it means “existing in or providing a great or plentiful quantity or supply.”

Paul was building on the words of Jesus, as recorded in John 10:10: “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” More word study: both abounding and abundantly come from the same Latin root word abundare, which means overflow. Both Jesus and Paul remind us that God intends that we live lives overflowing with thanksgiving.

As we celebrate 70 years of God’s blessings on Bellevue Christian School, we have an unlimited list of things we could call out, and to some degree there is risk in doing so. So please understand and forgive as the list below barely scratches the surface of what is on our institutional gratitude list.

1. I am grateful for the generosity of our parent community. You support those in need with meals and rides and prayers and time. You donate to worthy causes. When called upon, you participate in on campus activities, donate to Jog-A-Thons, join us at auctions, and respond generously through your financial support.

2. I am grateful for our coaches, who balance teaching good strategy for the contests with instructions on leading an abundant life. People like Jenna Bronson, Larry Royce, Pete DeLaRosa, Mike Downs, and Paul Perkins have made a profound difference in the lives of hundreds of BCS students, sometimes without ever teaching a class.

3. BCS has had its share of legendary teachers, people whose passion for their students is only surpassed by their love for Christ. People like Lowell Hagan, Helen Wolfe, Dewey Fredericks, Joel Ulrich, and Jean Loven. They changed lives for the better.

4. I am grateful for the facilities we have. The Clyde Hill Campus has served students for nearly 70 years. Mack has expanded access to Christian education for families north and east of Bellevue. Our Three Points Campus, leased from the Bellevue School District, enabled the school to grow at a price we could manage and serves as the largest feeder to the Clyde Hill Campus.

5. Naturally, I am most grateful for the more than 200 souls who serve our students today: coaches, maintenance workers, educational assistants, extended care workers, bus drivers, deli workers, administrators, support staff, and, of course, teachers. Striving each day to “prepare young people to live faithfully for God,” these men and women influence our students in ways large and small. The strength of their impact may not be known for years, but their passion for the mission inspires them to do better each day.

I am overflowing with gratitude for these blessings of God. What’s on your list?