Well, an era has passed in Spartanburg City Schools. Nate is part of the last 6th grade at Pine Street School as the city school district changes the way they've always done school. Beginning next year District 7 will move 6th graders to the Junior High/Middle School level and shift 9th graders to the high school.
His graduation ceremony was long to say the least. I actually left before it ended having been there for 2 hours - for 6th graders!! There were awards in 7 different categories and one teacher, visual arts I think, gave out so many, I wondered if there was anyone who didn't get an award. Well, Nate didn't but that's OK.
The guest speaker was the football coach at the local college. He was great. He kept everyone's attention and had the kids participating in what he was saying. What struck a chord with me was his story of himself as a young man in Ohio working as a garbage collector. Although he didn't intend to always be a garbage man, he had plans and dreams, he was the best garbage man he could be. One day in a neighborhood on his route all the garbage cans had been knocked over. He picked up all the trash that had been scattered and put it in the hopper of the truck. Then he heard a crack and was struck by something. When he turned around he saw a boy, about 12 or 13, pulling a gun back in the window of his house. The police were called because the boy had shot him with a pellet gun. Mike, the coach, didn't press charges but wanted to know why the boy shot him. The boy said, "He's only a garbage man."
I thought about the times Nate had been upset because kids at his school made fun of him because his clothes weren't the right label or because of the brand of skateboard he had or because he didn't have a cell phone as a 2nd grader or because he doesn't have a Nook or an iPad or an iPhone now. The saddest part to me is the kids learn to consider what you have to be more important than who you are from their parents.
The coach went on to talk about what's inside is more important than how you look on the outside. He talked about God given gifts and talents and blessings on his life from his Savior. I wanted to stand up and cheer!
Nate didn't get any awards, any pieces of paper, to say his teachers think he's special but that doesn't mean he's not special. Parents told his dad after a trip to Barrier Island a couple of months ago that Nate was one of the nicest kids on the trip, always polite, always going out of his way to include those who were not being included. His small group leader at church told me yesterday that Nate is the neatest kid he knows; he has a maturity and understanding of God's word and a hunger to know God that the other kids in the group don't have.
Nate's got plenty of stuff, just not the stuff that matters to his school mates. He might not have any awards for a scrapbook. But I would much, much, much rather Nate have character built on the word of God. I am so proud of Nate and can't wait to see what God has in store for him!
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