Cougar Pause: Lakeland Christian Academy Reflects On Local Loss
Posted
Scott Wiley-
I feel kind of numb as I am writing this week’s Cougar Pause article. I had planned on writing about our upcoming annual student visitation day “Fall Break Day at LCA”, but I will save that for next week as my heart is heavy with the loss of four local prominent men that were also friends and acquaintances of mine over the past 40 years. Our sincerest condolences and prayers go out to the Smith, Elliott and Bibler families, as well as the thousands of people that they have touched over the years. It is times like these that serve as a reality check for our community. We all get so busy in our daily lives that we forget just how fragile and short life is. For all of us this could be our last day on this earth. We have to ask ourselves: “Are we prepared for what happens to us after we pass away?” It is a question we all have to deal with whether we like it or not. People and religions all have different views. Does our soul go to Heaven or Hell? Are we reincarnated as another person or animal? Do we go to some cosmic “waiting room”? Do we just die and cease to exist? One thing that we can all agree on for sure is that when we die we will know for sure who was right and who was wrong on this topic. This is one area that you need to dedicate a lot of time studying because you are truly betting your eternal life on it. As a Christian I believe the Bible when it says in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son that whoever believes in Him (Jesus) shall not perish but have eternal life.” I also believe that when the verse says “believes in Him” that means a whole lot more than just acknowledging the fact that He exists. In fact in James 2:19 the Bible says: “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.” Even Satan and the demons “believe” in God, that is to say that they know that He exists, but they are not going to be in Heaven. I believe that you must accept, turn your life over, and follow Christ and the plan of salvation as it is laid out in the Bible. This also means more than just attending church. I love to use the expression “Going to church makes you a Christian just as much as going to a Cubs game makes you a professional baseball player.” (ok, no Cubs jokes) Just being in the facility doesn’t mean anything. That also applies to us at LCA as a Christian school. Just because you attend a Christian school doesn’t mean that you are a Christian. It does however surround you with Christian values, morals, ethics, and principles as it incorporates the Bible into every aspect academically, socially, physically, and spiritually. It gives you all the tools and every opportunity to accept Christ as your personal Lord and Savior. LCA is a place where all of our families work together to help raise our students with a loving Christian worldview. My prayer is that as we deal with the tragic death of these Warsaw, Tippy Valley, and racing community icons that we will reach out to these families and all pause for a moment and reflect on our own lives and ask ourselves: “If I we were to pass away today, am I ready?”
