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What is Will Not Always Be

January 3, 2025

I often read a newsletter called The Broken Copier written by an educator for other educators.

Written from a secular worldview, I can’t agree with everything that is written, but this week, I received one titled “One day I’m going to miss this.”

The author, a teacher, shares that he’s learned to enter each new year remembering that we often fail to appreciate what we have when we have it.

Discussing the pleasure he takes as an English teacher in being able to sit down and read through/grade student essays and poems over the break, he wrote:

“I know, too, that this won’t always be a thing.

My first reflection of 2024 was on how the classroom can be enough, and I’m entering 2025 with a doubled-down conviction on that same idea: a firm belief in the potential of what the classroom can be—and also, walking hand-in-hand with that belief, a sincere and foundational gratitude for my role as a classroom teacher.

Because I know one day, inevitably, I won’t be, and there will be so many things, such as reading narrative poems from students, that I am going to miss.”

As I read this, these thoughts came to mind:

What we are now, we will not always be.

What we have now, one day will be gone.

We need to learn to find that sweet spot of contentment and being present in the lives we have to live.

Sure, there are things to resolve and work on to improve ourselves and certainly there are disappointments and regrets in all of our hearts, but if we allow them to, they can choke out our ability and opportunity to enjoy the blessings of our lives now.

Let’s not let them. For now, let’s try to live with this perspective:

Wake each day with a determination to live it thankfully.
Love every person you have the opportunity to – even those who are against you. They may need it the most.
Revel in living in a free country while it is still free. I know, I know all the arguments, but we are free, and it is a blessing we won’t fully appreciate until it is gone.
Give thanks for the immense – and I do mean immense – prosperity of our current society. The wealthiest nation and economy in the world. It’s not perfect and no, not everyone shares equally in the wealth directly, but let me assure you that it does indirectly affect all of us equally.

Football stadiums are packed full week after week after week along with all the food/merchandise/parking fees.

Disney parks are buzzing, with the highest ticket prices ever with absolutely no slow down in ticket sales.

New phones are sold for thousands of dollars to be used by children.

We are blessed in many ways. There are negatives as well, but until Christ returns, there always will be. Only in Christ and our eternal home in Heaven will we finally be free from all of that.

I remind students all the time, to be thankful for getting to go to school and learn. They don’t realize how blessed they are because it interferes with the pursuit of empty pleasure. We have the same issue as adults.

Are you thankful on Mondays that you have the health and ability to get up and go to work or do you hate Mondays with the majority of people?

Let’s start the year off together with a correct sense of perspective: What is will not always be.

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. Ecclesiastes 12:13

Mr. David McClain, Head of School at FCS, shares insights relating to Christian education, biblical worldview, building Christian character, and current events. Read the archives here.