Editor’s note: Jeremy Wall is the Director of Student Experiences
A Posture of Wonder
As another school year begins, it’s easy to focus on getting everything ready. We organize classrooms, buy school supplies, label backpacks, fill calendars, adjust sleep schedules, prepare lesson plans, and squeeze in one last family adventure before the rhythm of school begins again. The transition from summer to school stirs up all kinds of emotions. Some students can’t wait to see their friends, while others quietly wonder if they’ll fit in. Parents feel the excitement of a fresh start mixed with the anxiety of busy schedules and letting go a little more. Teachers eagerly prepare their classrooms while carrying both the privilege and responsibility of shaping young lives.
All of those feelings are normal. But I wonder if the most important preparation happens somewhere less visible—in our hearts.
When the Israelites stood on the edge of the Jordan River, preparing to enter the Promised Land, they faced a season filled with uncertainty and anticipation. They didn’t know exactly what was ahead, but they knew who was leading them. Before they crossed, Joshua gave them this invitation: “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you” (Joshua 3:5). I love the book of Joshua and I love that verse because it reminds me that before God often does something new around us, He first wants to do something new within us.
One of the greatest influences in my own journey studying psychology has been Dr. William Glasser. His work reinforced something Scripture has been teaching all along: our mindset shapes what we notice and how we experience the world. When we approach life with curiosity, gratitude, hope, and anticipation, we become more resilient, more creative, and more open to growth. As followers of Christ, our optimism isn’t rooted in positive thinking, it is rooted in confidence that God is already at work, even when we can’t yet see it.
I remember learning this lesson as a summer camp counselor in Oregon. We were challenged to respond to almost everything with “Yeah!” If the lake was freezing, “Yeah! Cold water wakes us up!” If it rained all day, “Yeah! We get to dance in the rain!” If the hike was steep, “Yeah! The view will be worth it!” At first, I thought it was a little over the top, forced and actually silly. But I soon realized we weren’t ignoring reality, we were choosing how to frame it. Before long, our campers began to adopt the same posture. Their joy didn’t come from perfect circumstances; it came from learning to expect that something good could still be found in every moment.
What if that became the posture of our Front Range Christian community this year?
What if parents started each morning by asking their children, “What do you think God has in store for you today?” What if dinner table conversations became opportunities to look for God’s faithfulness instead of simply recounting the day’s frustrations? What if teachers intentionally looked for the unique gifts God has placed in every student, and students walked into school asking, “Lord, what are You inviting me into today?” Imagine the kind of culture we could create if we encouraged one another with hope, wonder, and expectancy.
At Front Range Christian School, we believe education is about far more than academics. We partner with families to cultivate Christian scholars who know Christ, pursue wisdom, demonstrate virtue, and engage God’s world with purpose. That kind of formation happens in classrooms, on the stage, on the field, around lunch tables, on retreats, and often through the very challenges we would have chosen to avoid. Those ordinary moments become sacred when we recognize that the Holy Spirit is present and at work. The end goal is we just want to experience Jesus as much as possible.
So as you come to registration day, meet teachers, reconnect with old friends, welcome new families, and prepare for the first day of school, don’t just prepare your backpack or your classroom. Prepare your heart.
My prayer is that we would begin this year with open hands, expectant hearts, and eyes ready to recognize God’s presence. Let’s not simply hope for a successful school year. Let’s anticipate a transformational one. If we choose a posture of wonder, believing God is already at work among us, I think we’ll discover that He has far more in store than we ever imagined.
“Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.” May that be our prayer as we begin another year together.
