School Memories

May 24, 2026
 
Reflections from the Heart of Allan Redenius
The end of May signals the end of the school year.  When I was in grade school, May was a time of great concern.  Would I pass and be promoted to the next academic year, or would I be held back to repeat that which I just did?  I really didn't care about repeating the academics, but I surely didn't want to be left behind by my friends with a scarlet letter stamped on my forehead.  Indeed, I held my breath every single year.
 
You see, with a birthday in November, I was only four years old when I started kindergarten.  Mrs. Brown, my kindergarten teacher, gave me plenty of frowny faces, even a frowny face for naps.  If only she could see me now.  Taking a nap is one thing I excel in. 😊  So, kindergarten set the stage for my annual May pass or fail anxiety.  Not until I was a freshman in high school did my maturity and brainpower catch up with my classmates who were all older than me.
 
I took my last high school math class as a sophomore.  It was geometry and I thought it was all about flying paper airplanes when the teacher had his back turned and was scratching an equation I would never use on the chalkboard.  Give me a break!  I was into aerodynamics.  😊
  
Academics was not my thing, especially math and algebra.  While in high school I would have been perfectly content to work as a meat cutter in Rollie’s grocery store the rest of my life.  But somehow, by the grace of God, I ended up in college and five years after I took that aerodynamics class, I mean geometry class, I was introduced to quantitative analysis at the University of Iowa.  Truly, it was by the grace of God that I passed that class.
 
Now imagine, someone who doesn't like academics, who at one time struggled with math, ends up as a certified public accountant, a profession all about math.  Did I tell you that in grade school I was a slow reader?  Now today I read the Bible all the time. 
 
As I reflect over my life, I am truly amazed at what God has done.  He guided me through school and college.  He has given me a beautiful wife and family, and now as I close out my life, He has given me the greatest blessing of all, that of being a shepherd to His people.  Again, He gives to me something about which I know nothing about, sheep. 😊
 
Blessed and highly favored,
Pastor Allan

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