About ten years ago, our family purchased a baby grand piano at a thrift store. It had a beautiful tone and “good bones” but was hideous on the outside. The previous owner had stripped the original wood and painted every exterior surface of the piano a cream color with bright gold glitter flakes. Suitable for a lounge in Nashville? Probably. In my living room? Definitely not my style.
So, my middle daughter and I decided to take matters into our own hands and paint it ourselves. We taped and covered all of the delicate parts of the instrument and started sanding away the hideous paint. Once done with that, we went through the arduous process of then priming and painting the piano with a beautiful black semi-gloss. Day after day, careful layer after careful layer, we gave attention to the paint job. We wanted it to be beautiful and we wanted it to last.
However, as the days progressed, I will admit to getting a little bit more sloppy, brushing an inconsistent layer of paint here and there. I noticed my growing impatience but it wasn’t until recently that the true ramifications of poorly applied layers of paint were revealed. Ten years later, it is obvious that there are places where there is no depth of paint.
Our students’ spiritual lives are a lot like that. Sometimes, as parents, we are intentional, putting down deep, beautiful layers of faith, of wisdom, and of love for the Lord. Other times, we are sloppy and impatient, cutting corners. And, just like the piano, the weaknesses there are often not revealed until years later. It reminds me of the description of the Ancient Hebrews in Judges 2:10 “After that whole generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation grew up, who knew neither the Lord nor what He had done for Israel.”
That’s a sobering thought – a whole generation that grows up but doesn’t know the Lord. That is why I am so grateful for a Christian, classical education for my children and for yours. The “classical” part is how we deliver this education, but the “Christian” part? That is the why. Nothing matters more than this current generation growing up and knowing the Lord. Nothing matters more than this generation following His ways as they graduate from high school and walk out into this crazy world. Every single day at Libertas Academy, we are applying layer after layer of beauty, truth, and goodness coupled with heaping doses of wisdom that will serve them so well for the rest of their lives.
To every parent considering which school to attend, never forget: each day, layers are being applied to your child’s heart and mind. I implore you to think carefully about what layers you want for your children, and which you don’t.
Holly Kalton
Head of School, Libertas Academy
