On April 15, 2019, the world stood alongside the people of Paris, France, in shock and disbelief. Notre Dame, the medieval Catholic cathedral which for centuries stood as a landmark in the city, had caught fire and was engulfed in flames. Many feared that the structure would be a total loss. Fortunately, thanks to the work of Paris’s fire department and the grace of God, much of the building was able to survive the flames. In fact, for the past year, Notre Dame has been undergoing a massive restoration project designed to return the masterpiece of French Gothic architecture to as close to its original condition as possible.
On the first anniversary of the fire, I had the chance to read an article talking about the work being done to save Notre Dame (https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-52280511). The article shared several interesting pieces of information about the restoration and what the team had discovered as they began their work. One story was that of Claudine Loisel, a woman whose specialty was glass restoration. Her job was to test the lead levels of the stained-glass windows in the cathedral. What Loisel found was a most pleasant surprise: no lead contamination. The windows had been protected from the fire.
How did this happen? The following excerpt from the article explains that, “[Loisel] told a BBC4 TV documentary…that some of the windows there had not been cleaned for a century, and that dirt may have helped save them from lead contamination in the fire. ‘The first thick layer [of dust] acted as a small layer of protection,’ she explained. ‘So, we just have to remove all these deposits to clean these windows.’”
I must admit that the first thought I had upon reading this was that I had found the best excuse for not washing windows ever. Maybe we underestimated the protective nature of dust. Perhaps my wife’s requests for a total house cleaning are really putting us at risk, while my procrastination and general disdain for wasting a day on cleaning has kept my family safe. Confident in the knowledge that I had discovered something incredibly important, I shared my findings and hypothesis with my wife. She never actually said that she agreed with me, but she did walk away rolling her eyes (undoubtedly because she too realized how much time we have wasted on house cleaning over the years).
All kidding aside, it is amazing how something as insignificant as dust could have protected these irreplaceable pieces of art. As amazing that that is, it is equally ironic that had the cathedral and its staff made any attempt to clean the glass at any time over the past 100+ years, it is very likely that windows would have been lost.
Amidst the beauty of the cathedral, it is easy to forget that this architectural wonder is first and foremost, the house of God. Ministry takes place here and by the power of the Holy Spirit, faith is fostered, and lives are changed. This is a very good thing. Imagine if the work of developing and strengthening faith was completely up to us? Would we be able to do what was necessary to overcome our sinfulness so that we could save ourselves or others? I can only speak for myself, but allow me to put it this way:
I am much better at house cleaning.
As believers, we give thanks to God for the great love He has for us. This is what led Him to send Jesus into our sinful world. He took the heat for our sins, suffering the consequences of our filthy lives on Golgotha’s cross. But just as the beauty of Notre Dame will one day be preserved, we too have had our relationship with God restored because of Christ’s resurrection. The only differences between the two are that Jesus accomplished his restoration work in three days, not the roughly six years that officials are estimating for Notre Dame. Secondly, our restoration in Christ is eternal; a claim no architect or builder could possibly make. Paul reminds us of this promise in the words of 2 Timothy 4:18 where he writes:
“The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.”
May we always remember this promise as we live our lives to the glory of our God. May we never choose to let the dust of sin cover the beauty that God created within us to be shared with others seeking His love.
That said, please excuse me. My wife just brought me a mop so I can prove my theory on the kitchen floor.
Devotion by Richard Schumacher
LSEM Director of Programs & Services
-
Recent Posts
More Stories
Steady Progress
Listening is Reading Too!
Support and Evaluation
From Student to Teacher
Everyday Victories
Goal Achieved!
The Success in Independence
Students ARE the WOW
Pressing On
Struggles
A Different Path
No One Is Alone
A Little Boost
Daily Bread
Not Just One Wow
A Hungry Caterpillar
A, Child of Jesus
All Kinds of Smart
When It ‘Clicks’
Moments of Growth
Gloomy to Glad
Creative Engagement
Vertical Learning Works!
A Lasting Impact
Acting to Improve Reading
The Importance of Practice
The Sticky Note
Incredible Growth, Incredible Child
Play A Game!
Serving More
The Journey
Peer Mentoring
See the Joy
Celebrate the Achievement
The Results Speak Volumes
Everyone Needs Kindness
40 Years of Service
God Made It Grow
Individualized Learning
Cling to Hope
Power of Intervention
A Different Approach
Little Wow Moments
Code Crackers
Seeing the Change
Disability Awareness Event
Facing Fears
Perseverance and Persistence
Support and Confidence
Organization and Progress
A Growing Service
Long Lasting Effects
Benefits of Collaboration
Productive Starts
It Works!
A Fun Challenge
More than One Way
Importance of the Basics
Loving Literature
Being Special
Celebrate the Victories
Learning, Reading, Helping
Benefits of Partnership
Hearing God’s Call
The Book Bunch
Never Give Up
More Than Just Book Learning
From Struggles to Smiles
Back on Track
Leaps and Bounds
Recognizing Success
Graduation Gratitude
Carryover Success
Learning and Teaching
Coolness!
A Path of Improvement
Learning Brings Confidence
Something That Works
From Fearful to Fearless
A Magical Moment
Growth Mindset: Self Advocacy
Growing and Blooming
Building That Relationship
Finding the Right One
Getting Back On Track
More Than Just Academics
No Problem
God’s Love in the Classroom
A Familiar Face
Rewinding the Negative
What A Difference
The Power of Relationship
The Encouragement to Shine
Long Lasting Effects
A New Start For A Child
Providing Effective Instruction
Summer Practice and Fall Success
Where God Leads
What A Teacher Longs For
Blossoming Success
Support Makes A Difference
Attitude and Determination
A Real World Connection to Learning
Watch in Amazement
More Than Just A School
Some Classroom Success Stories
A “Shark Tank” Story
Creature Comfort
Fostering Spiritual Growth
Catching Up
Another Way to Read
Connecting Learning to Hobbies
A Wow List
I Know the Answer!
It’s Okay to Ask for Help
Long Term Growth
Resilience
Practice Makes Progress
Teaching at Many Grade Levels
Yes You Can!
Learning and Building Confidence
Finding the Fun in Reading
The Hybrid Classroom
Teaching Outside a Resource Room
Sight Word Wow
Acceptance Leading to Growth
The Goal Stays the Same
Seeing Smiles
A New Way to Teach
Attitudes Change
Consistent Alternatives
A Hand to Help
A Message from the President/CEO
How Your Gift Makes an Impact
LSEM Christmas Tea
There Are Spiders in Her Office!
Finding Her Place
Small Tech Makes a Big Improvement
New Families for a New School Year
We Praise the Lord
Transitions
It’s Been a Busy Summer
Golf for a Cause!
Faith During the Pandemic
A Fireside Chat with Stacy Hoeft
Work From Home Desk Challenge
We MOVED!
Introducing 20 in 20
Hear From Our Teachers
LSEM Summer Shorts
To God Be the Glory!
A Thank You to Our Teachers
A Valentine’s Special
New Students and New Challenges
A Brief Reflection On Service
Teaching in a Virtual Landscape
Teaching in a Time of Uncertainty
LSEM in Texas
Anxiety and Learning
You Don’t Have to Choose
A Learning Haven
Causing a Culture Shift
Connecting in a Time of Difficulty
Growth and Goodbyes at St John Rochester
Growing Confidence
A Friendsgiving Story
Not Being Defined by a Learning Need
A Shifting Approach to Special Education
Teachers Are Like Family
Enthusiastic Support in Hanoi
Step Up to Reading
Starting on an Active Note
Look at That Smile!
Seeing Yourself in a Story
What Makes a Wow Story
Celebrate Them Going
Lutheran Education Podcast
Exactly the Help We Needed
On the Ballot for the National LWML
A Special Announcement
Stories from Hearts for Jesus 2
Stories from Hearts for Jesus 1
Hearts for Jesus Continues!
Busy Bees at St Peter
Professional Development Helps Everyone
An Unexpected Opportunity to Help
Technology Opening Doors of Communication
Satchian’s Story
A Trip to Let It Shine
Saying YES to a Child in Need
Literacy and A Little Library
A Positive Program Result
A Kindergarten Wow Story
Technology is Opening Doors for LSEM Students
LSEM Helps Establish Standards
Honoring the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
An Innovative Principal’s Mindset
It Takes A Team
High School Transformation
Growing and Graduating
Minnesota Principal Sees LSEM Impact
The Best Gift of All
A Young Boy with a Giant Heart
LSEM Helps Texas School Shine its Light
Notes from the Tree House
LSEM Student Uses Dance to Express her Love of Jesus
Costa Mesa Principal Reports LSEM Success!
A Second Grade Success Story
Fearfully and Wonderfully Made Student Fearless About His Future!
Crown of Life Lutheran School Puts its Mission into Action
Future Cities Super Star Wins at National Competition
Former LSEM Student Uses Her Experience to Help Others
LSEM Teacher Uses Skills to Connect with Teen Learners
A Mother’s Voice: How Mia Transformed Her Struggles to Success
A Perfect Storm
You can. We can. The children can!
From shy and quiet to outgoing and involved
Success stories all around us
Students compete in national competition
An “Updated” Story of Faith
From the Heart: A Friend of LSEM Shares How His Family Made a Difference
From Struggling to Smiling
Wow! This has made all the difference
One Child. Two Perspectives