It’s state testing time in many schools across the United States, and students are feeling the stress.
Last week, I proctored (observed) for a fourth-grade classroom where you could feel the tension in the air. After the test administrator (teacher) finished reading from a pretest script, he asked his students if they had any questions.
A boy on the front row raised his hand and asked, “Can we pray?” The teacher responded, “Does anyone else want to pray?” Two or three more students raised their hands. “Does anyone disapprove?” Nobody said they did.
The teacher knows my first career was as a minister, so he said, “Mr. Duncan, would you lead us?” I said, “Sure, and I’ll keep it general, for those who have different beliefs.”
God in heaven: Please help every student in here to do their best on this test. Calm their nerves and assist them to remember what they know. Amen
During the ninety or so minutes of relative silence that followed, I had plenty of time to ponder what happened.
Children today face temptations and endure traumas that were uncommon for earlier generations. Back in the seventies, when I was a fourth grader, there was no such thing as the internet and our family television picked up only four channels—from an outdoor antenna.
Yet here we are in 2026, and many kids are keeping the faith, or at least they don’t object if their peers do.
Don’t let anyone look down on because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity. 1 Timothy 4:12 (NIV)
Kind reader, like a Mr. “Fix-It” I thought I needed to manufacture faith, hope, and love from all the children under my supervision, but it’s simply not so.
Many of them already know when and how to drop an “eternal” anchor.
Do we?
We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. Hebrews 6:19a (NIV)
Thank you for reading. Prayers and love.
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