Within a couple of years, both my children were attending Trinity, and I was teaching in the fourth grade. For a public-school teacher, this was a different world. I learned how to integrate my faith into truly everything I did as I talked freely with my students about God. I no longer “managed behavior” but instead shepherded the hearts of children, encouraging them with God’s love for them rather than earthly rewards. My own children blossomed here, and our family was blessed by being a part of this loving community. I also grew and was blessed as a mother, a teacher, and then a principal.
As you well know, Trinity Christian School, made up of all the students, teachers, staff, and parents that comprise it, is a place like no other. We don’t do everything perfectly, but somehow working together we all become bigger and better than we are alone, and the aroma of this place rises to God as a message of gratitude for his presence here and all that he has given. I would not be the Christian I am today if it were not for the encouragement of my friends here, the inspiration I receive from the faith of our children, the daily soaking in the word of God. Of all the places I have known in my life, Trinity is the closest to how God meant us to live—using his gifts in community to glorify him with joy and love.
It is therefore with a heavy heart that I must leave after this school year. My husband, Ben, retires from the military this coming June, and he has accepted a position in Roanoke, VA. The town is nestled between the Appalachian and Blue Ridge mountain ranges and will be closer to our families who both reside in the southeast. It is a new chapter for us: civilian life after 24 years in the military, mountains instead of ocean, an empty nest after raising two children, and, for the first time in my life, uncertainty about what is next for me. Maybe a return to teaching, a sabbatical to write curriculum, or a restart of my tutoring business I had when my children were young. I sense God has something for me, and must faithfully wait for what it to be revealed. For the ultimate planner and control-freak, this is clearly God’s often painful process of sanctification.
Leaving here will be one of the hardest things I have ever done. However, I know for certain that God has always been and will always be the guiding force at this school. He has provided ALL we have needed, right when we needed it, and his faithfulness knows no bounds. Whoever takes my place will carry on the great work I inherited from those before me. In this way, God uses each of our individual strengths to continue to advance this school to reach more families, engage more hearts and minds, and bring greater glory to His name. Part of me will remain here with all of you, and I will forever pray for this special school and its role in God’s mission.
“Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD God is an everlasting rock.” Isaiah 26:4
Jennifer Cable
Elementary Principal