From the Headmaster
A message from Matt Skinner
"Train up a child in the way he should go…." Proverbs 22:6a
Set Your Aim
The biblical comparison of children to arrows is well known. A “full quiver” is something every mom and dad desire for their family, whether that is one child or ten. The verse above tells us to “train” up a child, which in Hebrew is a word used to describe the understanding an archer has of his arrows, and especially the particular bent of his arrows. Back in the day, warriors and hunters did not have perfectly straight graphite shafts for their arrows. Made from wood, they were rarely if ever perfectly straight. Each arrow would have a particular trajectory that it would follow based on the natural bent of the shaft.
This quality is true of our children as well. Each one is uniquely gifted by God with a particular “bent” for something. Our job as parents is to be aware of that unique gifting and to use it to the advantage of the child. So many times I see parents going against the “grain” of their child, forcing them to live a life according to their parent’s desires and gifting and not their own unique makeup. Spend time to know your child, to understand how God has hardwired them and how you can foster that within them.
The other thing about the children as arrows metaphor that has intrigued me is this: arrows are not meant to stay in the quiver. They are meant to be released, with force, into the world. How are you as parents preparing to release your children into this world? In order to be intentional (think of trying to hit the bull’s-eye), you must understand the natural trajectory of the arrow having practiced with it before and you must release it on its path. That is the difficult part. It is scary to release your child into this world. It is scarier still to release a child, your arrow, into this world not having any idea as to the intended target and the path you expect them to take.
Landmark Christian School exists to assist you in preparing your children for their release. During each of our graduation ceremonies, I picture a battle scene when a host of archers raise their bows and release their arrows into the sky, knowing, or least having an informed idea, of where those arrows will land. Arrows are meant to have impact, to strike their targets with force. Are your children ready?
This article was originally published in Landmark's June 2006 "LCS Connection."