HCS Stories

HCS Invests in Individuals – Mr. Bryon Ritzema, Dean of Students

God can and will use anyone to further His Kingdom!  Each morning, I do my best to greet each junior high classroom as we start another day.  I get really energetic responses from some of our students (I see you, Mrs. Sluiter’s room!) and others are just doing their best to wake up (which would be how I was in jr high!).  The highlight, by far, each morning greeting is when I get to Mrs. Sen’s room. 

Right after I have said good morning, two young men recite our theme scripture verse for this year from 2 Timothy 3:16-17.  “All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”  I never asked for this to be shared each morning nor was it required.  One of the young men, Tyler, started doing it on his own, while the whole class watched in silence.  Then, a classmate named Ethan joined in, maybe a month later, and at one point the whole class participated.  WOW! 

When I see these young men, I think of Paul’s charge to Timothy to let no one look down on him because of his youth. But rather to set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. This is in fact is what happened here. God used these young men to share His word with the rest of the class – along with myself.  This falls directly in line with Psalm 119:11, which states, “I have hidden your word in my heart so that I might not sin against you.”  

Thanks to both of these young men for taking our theme verses seriously and sharing it each morning with the rest of the class. I believe one of the most fitting verses to finish with, even though they are not my kids, is from 1 John 4 which says,  “There is no greater joy to see my children walking in the truth.”