In 1999 when my husband and I purchased our home, we had no children and the plan for them was years off, so we didn’t think much about school zoning. Honestly, we thought by the time we would have to be concerned with schools we would have moved into a larger home in a better area. After all, this was our starter home.
Twenty-one years later and by the grace of God, we are still here. And that school zoning problem has been an issue since our daughter became school aged. Rather than send her to our local zoned schools we opted for charter schools. Knowing we could not afford to send her to a private, or Christian school that was the best we could give her.
I believe the Charter schools we sent her to are great schools, with great teachers and staff, but over the years we have discovered that Lexi faced many challenges both emotionally and academically that the charter schools were just not equipped to handle. We moved her to 3 different charter schools between Kindergarten and 4th grade for that very reason. By her 5th grade year, it started to become evident that this last school was unable to meet all her needs as well but because the staff was so amazing and she had made friends and felt comfortable, we decided to keep her there. She struggled all through middle school, barely passing.
Since her school only went through 8th grade we had to begin deciding on where to send her for High School. Our zoned high School was not a viable option. After being advised by many people and taking into consideration what Lexi wanted, we decided that school choice was our best option to get her into a good public high school. One of the best in our county just so happened to be the same high school I graduated from. I really wanted her to go to this school. It scored a 9 out of 10 on many school ratings sites. The school’s test scores were high, college acceptance levels were high, had great reviews and a diverse blend of cultures and backgrounds, plus, being a public school, Lexi would get the “true” high school experience she really wanted.
Rather than be presumptuous, I began to pray that God would place her in the school He wanted her to attend with the hopes that would be the school we wanted her to go to. I took every opportunity to apply and each time, we were denied. With every denial, I’d reach out to the school board pleading our case to no avail. I was even advised by many to lie and say we were living with someone in the area. As tempting as it was, I chose not to sin to make this happen and I decided to just trust that God would put her right where He wanted her. Additionally, my husband and I discussed moving and even considered selling our house, using the proceeds to fund a private school and renting. Both ideas were so cost prohibitive it would have ruined us financially.
Since our only other option, other than our zoned school, was the charter high school we applied and she was accepted. This meant, of course, placing her back into that same challenging academic program she had struggled with for the last 5 years and without all the accommodations she could benefit from, but praise the Lord we at least had somewhere to send her for High School, and perhaps this is exactly where God wanted to place her. After all, He knows better than I.
The final opportunity to apply for school choice came in the summer and the results would be given 2 weeks before the start of the new school year. With much prayer, I applied again, but sadly, once again, we were denied. I discovered that over 200 students were on the waiting list and the school was over capacity as it was. I believed that it was impossible to think she even had a chance and so, we just decided to trust God that He knew what He was doing, and that the charter school must be where He wanted her to attend.
Lexi started high school at the charter school when shortly after I found out that I could appeal the School Board’s decision by applying for a hardship. Funny how our minds question God's plan and I vacillated, do I apply, don’t I apply? Is this school God’s will for her? Plus, I was warned by more experienced parents that a hardship is extremely hard to get and it’s mostly based on transportation issues, which was not the case for us. Then the Lord showed me Luke 18:1-8, it says:
Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary. “For some time, he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’” And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8 I tell you; he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”Had I given up? Had I been so willing to accept it was over? Had my faith failed? In this story God reminds us not to give up, and basically says what Yogi said “it ain’t over till, it’s over”, so, I prayed, and I asked others to pray with us. With a renewed faith, I wrote my letter of appeal to the school. A few more weeks went by and once again, I began to believe it was over but I kept on praying. Then I got a phone call inviting me to a committee meeting where my appeal would be heard. I thought, WOW, there’s still a chance! I happily accepted the invitation and at the meeting, I was open and honest, and discussed all the reasons we needed this reassignment. Then I was told I would have my answer the following week. I continued to pray, and I continued to ask others to pray, another week went by and no word. The following week I diligently checked my email I discovered that she got accepted!!!!
In God’s economy it’s not over till it’s over. Pray and do not give up! Hannah prayed and did not give up and she gave birth to her son Samuel. Elizabeth prayed and in her old age for a child and gave birth to John the Baptist. Time after time in the bible God’s people prayed and God made miracles happen! The answer may not have happened exactly when they wanted it, or it may not have looked the way they wanted it but God did not let their requests go unanswered.
James 5:16 “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” Prayer is so immensely powerful because it ushers us into the presence of the living God, it keeps our faith alive and gives God the opportunity to show us His incredible glory. Do not give up! Do not call it quits, God hears your prayer, trust Him. It might take 20+ years for your answer, but I believe you’ll get what you ask for and if not, it will be even better than you can even imagine!
Dear Heaven Father, thank you for reminding me to pray and not give up! Thank you for answers to prayer and for miracles. Thank you that just when I think it’s over, it’s not! I lift up my fellow Christians today and join them in their righteous powerful and effective prayers. Whatever the desires of their hearts are, whatever their needs, whatever their sorrows I agree in the name of Jesus they shall receive the answer to it and that you will bring the solution in Your perfect timing, because we know, it ain’t over, till You say it is. In Jesus’ precious name I pray. AMEN!
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