Recognitions

My elementary school children all received awards the other day for several semester achievements. We had honors roll, perfect attendance, and achievement awards to name a few. It was fun to watch them and many of their fellow classmates receive these unexpected honors, and then to see their smiles as their peers and family members gave them a sound round of applause.

I think it’s great that the school takes the time to recognize hard work, dedication, and academic successes. A few years back only about five awards were given for each class. This year they recognized all the students who made improvements, did well on the state testing, had good attendance, and/or had the equivalent of an A or B average. The principal also stated that although not every child would get an award this time, there will always be another chance in the future.

As a writer I don’t always get immediate feedback for my work. I write because this is what the Lord directed me to do, and I must write whether I get open recognition or not. But I love it when the Lord allows someone out of the blue to come up and say, “I read your article the other day and it really touched me.”

It’s nice when people acknowledge our efforts. Whether it’s at school or work, a person feels good when they get a clap on the back or a thumbs up for a job well done. Sometimes, however, we won’t receive any recognitions. I don’t think we should always expect them. We don’t want to get big-headed. It’s too hard to walk through doors that way.