Lord forgive me for what I am about to do.

     In 1990, I graduated from East Burke High School. Four years later my wife graduated from South Caldwell High School and now 22 two years later my daughter will soon be walking into South Caldwell as a freshman. I am not taking it very well. In fact, that may be a huge understatement. My stomach is in more knots than a fish has scales. (I guess that is a lot. I don't know how many scales a fish has but it sounded like a lot.) There is several factors that has contributed to these knots. One, my baby girl is going to High School. She is digging deeper and deeper into her teenage years and is shows. Those loving moments I used to treasure is now followed with, "Daddy, I need $$$$." The constant request for me to watch a movie in her room with her has been replaced with the constant request for friends to come over. The always smiling, giggly, sweet girl has been replaced with a moody, ever changing monster. With all that said she is still a wonderful young lady and I am very proud of her. It is just I wanted her to stay little a little longer. Parents you know what I mean and if you don't you will soon. Another thing about this High School stuff that has my stomach in knots is the Caldwell County School Board must not have gotten my petition to keep all teenage boys in cages until my daughter graduates. Fathers with daughters can I get an Amen?
     There is another factor that is making this transition hard on me. My daughter is going to South

Caldwell not East Burke. Before you start throwing your tomatoes and stuff hear me out. I have nothing against South Caldwell other than the fact I didn't go there. There is a comfort level sending your daughter to a place you have been, even if none of the teachers or principals are still there. The building may be the only thing the same since I was there but it is still a familiar place. If you got lost all you did was hang a right and keep going. Since the school was round you would eventually find your way to where you were going. South is not like that. They have stairs, halls, walls and things that make it harder to find your way around. I don't want my little girl lost. I know many of those over the Freshman Academy and know that she will be in good hands. They have done an excellent job helping to make this transition a smooth one. For Abby it will be, for me not so much. The new principal is even a East Burke graduate. I know him and I know he will do an excellent job. Abby has been a part of the band since last year so she has made lots of friends and knows her way around the school because again those in charge do a great job.
     My daughter going to High School and it being South Caldwell has caused another dilemma. I have been told there is some unwritten rules or expectations for band parents. Most of which I happily accept and even look forward to fulfilling but there is this one thing I feel I am fighting a losing battle. I will gladly sling food at the Spartan Classic Band Competition

coming up on October 8th or what ever else I am asked to do then. (See I can plug them) I gladly sold pizza cards and spaghetti dinner tickets for the band's upcoming trip to Chicago. I will do anything else asked but there is this one thing I don't want to do. In my closet there is a maroon shirt. Although it has no Spartany words or logos on it anywhere it still obviously a South Caldwell shirt. My wife and my daughter fully expect me to wear it tomorrow night to the football game to support the school and band. I fully don't want to because deep down inside of me it feels like I am betraying my school. (Even though I currently have no East Burke attire, haven't since 1990 and don't plan on purchasing any.) It isn't like I can sneak in without anyone noticing what I am wearing. I have friends who have for the past year tried to get me to purchase and wear Spartan clothing. I wore Sawmills Elementary shirts. I wore Hudson Middle shirts so do I really need to wear South Caldwell shirts?
     The answer to that question is pretty simple even if I don't like the answer. It is, yes. Why? If it isn't my school why should I wear it? That has been my line for over a year. The reason has nothing to do with the band. It has nothing to do with what my friends want. It has nothing to do with either school for that matter. It has to do with something much bigger. It goes back almost 16 or 17 years ago when Lisa and I started to pray for a child. I told God I would be committed to him or her from day one and that even if there was decisions made by him or her I didn't agree with I would be there for their support. I didn't know the commitment I was making. She chose dance over softball. She chooses cheese pizza over meat lovers. She chooses the beach over the mountains.  She chose band over all my other ideas. And now she enters South Caldwell as a freshman. So you heard it here first. God forgive me but I will wear my South Caldwell shirt tomorrow night.
     I try to have that same attitude at church too. Even as the pastor I can't make all the decisions for my church and neither can any members. When it comes to right or wrong you have to stand for right but when it comes down to carpet colors, choir songs, which mission project is happening this month and things like that, I go with what the church wants. I understand we are not looking for small personal victories but large spiritual victories. Just like my daughter's high school experience is not all about me neither is church. It is all about God and the direction He leads the church. Sometimes God leads us to a ministry or to a change we are not comfortable with or even like but we have to trust God's plan that it is for the best for His kingdom. We are to join together as one, the body of Christ, not cause separation because we didn't get our way. We sing the songs we don't like, look at the paint color we didn't vote for, and pray for the ministry we didn't want because we are a part of the church. We are not greater than the church we are a part of it so we have to do what is good for the church.
     So Sunday, don't go to church for you. Instead go for God. If the congregation sings a song you don't like, if kitchen committee prepares a meal you don't like or if somebody wants to start a ministry you wouldn't remember me in my South Caldwell shirt. I am not wearing it for me but for my daughter. You are not at church for you, but for your Heavenly Father so we must act like it.

Parting Thought: Remember you can't make everybody happy because you are not bacon.