When God Shows Up Unexpectedly

Dear Innovate Academy Families,

As we are well into the Spring of 2021, I find myself reminiscing on recent events where God showed up UNEXPECTEDLY. I call these moments God Sightings. These experiences are those divine but small moments where, despite our own detailed calendar plans, God shows up and interrupts our business as usual. For mentors, this disruption occurs as inquisitive minds interrupt our carefully mapped-out lessons, as more meaningful conversations emerge! Being caught off guard by a group of scholars who blurt out an inspired idea with passion and zeal, we can choose  to ignore it, or we can pay attention, respond, and turn that moment into a life-long memory! I can think of dozens of times where one scholar spoke heartfelt words of encouragement to another UNEXPECTEDLY, and we stood in awe of God's presence in them! These experiences move us deeply everyday at Innovate Academy, and we place a high value on these small moments orGod Sightings. However, we also want to notice the big moments that occur when we are gathered corporately. Below are two such stories.

Our Read-A-Thon kicked off on March 1st with some crazy incentives for fundraising, such as throwing pie at Mr. Bily’s face when $1,000 was raised. Next up, at the $5,000 milestone, Mr. Roberts shaved his head and engraved the Innovate Academy logo on it. Just for background, Mr. Roberts arrived with blond, curly hair down to the middle of his back three years ago and cut it short to teach at our school. He went from long hair to short hair to shaving his entire head! 

Then came the moment on a Tuesday during Morning Matins, as we were shaving Mr. Robert's head on our sanctuary stage, complete with upbeat music and cheers from the crowd, when God showed up UNEXPECTEDLY. Mr. Roberts invited Shane Connelly, a current 6th grader who has been battling brain cancer, to share the stage with him, and chose to identify with this scholar, whom he had known and loved for the past three years. Next, UNEXPECTEDLY, our 1st grade mentor Kim Clark, also battling cancer, joined them on the stage in an indescribable moment where we were at a loss for words. The unity we felt in the room because of the love of God and depth of our relationships as a community was priceless. 

More recently on Easter Sunday, with thousands out on the lawn of Calvary Chapel and Innovate Academy’s shared property, former atheist, Lee Strobel, best known for writing The Case for Christ, spoke. This day drew families from various walks of life with a message entitled, The Case for Easter.

Then came an invite for baptisms, and right then and there, amidst thousands present, it was the Innovate Academy scholars who showed up, one after another, UNEXPECTEDLY.

Each shared their own spiritual stories, and with spontaneous tears of joy, Gabe, Sara, and several more entered the pool on this cold April morning, fully clothed in their Sunday best. These are the moments we live for, small and large, and this impact is what makes us wake up in the morning and go to work. 

Thanks for allowing us to share in these UNEXPECTED moments with your kids and don't miss these God Sightings yourself as you go about your own daily business. Can you imagine if we hadn't stopped to pay attention?