Unhurrying: My NSA Story
By Grace Carter
Girl Is Reading a Book by sergiimostovyi Created in Canva
When COVID-19 struck, questions about the security of my dad’s job arose as his company began letting employees go. When he was offered a job in Mississippi near our family, we decided it would be best to move. In the thick of the pandemic, we left our Florida home to join them. At the time, I was homeschooled. I never dreamed that I would discover NorthStar in the years after the move.
My mom started teaching me at home when I was diagnosed with eosinophilic esophagitis at a young age. E.O.E is a condition that mistakenly attacks the esophagus when certain dietary and/or environmental “triggers” are encountered. My preschool did not know how to meet my unique dietary needs, so my mom had to pull me out. Thanks to her, I am now symptom-free, which I have recently found out is very rare. However, my mom was diagnosed with a chronic health condition when I started middle school. This, combined with other factors (including my own preteen stubbornness), made homeschooling too difficult to continue. After sending me to private school for my eighth grade year, my family and I decided we would rather send me to an online Christian school than the high schools in my area.
When I first arrived at NorthStar, I was excited and nervous. My parents had been researching online schools for a long time to find one that was best for me. I had also taken a sample class and enjoyed the daily rhythm. We picked NorthStar because it was one of the oldest online schools we could find, was accredited, and had a good reputation. Little did I imagine what I was getting into when I enrolled! I was amazed to learn that I would be chatting on Microsoft TEAMS with students as far away as Turkey and as close to home as my own state. I found it quite challenging to adapt to the need to pace myself to turn in my assignments on time. However, although my freshman year was hard, I learned (in the school of hard knocks) what not to do in online school. Overall, I did well academically, and was eager to return for my tenth grade year.
Now, I love my NorthStar life. Every morning, I get up at 7:30 and have time to spend with God instead of having to rush to get ready. At 8:30, I sit down at the computer to eat yogurt and chip away at my daily assignments in Buzz. Most days, my subjects have the perfect balance of challenge and ease. The Christian worldview presented to me in all my classes is defended logically and reasonably. Around noon, I eat lunch with one or both of my parents–more often than not with a book in hand. Sometimes, my friends and I text each other during my breaks, checking in. After lunch, I help with chores and work on my afternoon assignments. I exercise daily to keep my strength up and jot down stories about everything from dragons to Jewish rabbis to birds to made-up people; I have the secret dream of becoming an author someday….
Today, as I write this article, I sit in my cozy office chair and stare at the monitor, trying not to yawn. My heart is beating just a little too fast for fear I might skip over the real message I want to share as I try to write something you might like.
A favorite author of mine once said that followers of Jesus must eliminate hurry from their lives. I could not agree more. When the pace of life picks up, I can feel the danger. I can taste the temptation to speed through the geometry, click through the online labs, whip up the guacamole, whisk the vacuum across the floor, and fall into bed exhausted, only to realize God hardly came into my mind that day. It would be a tragedy for me to live the rest of my life that way. Yes, I have commitments, and I value hard work greatly! Yet following Jesus is not a hurried business.
I can be so inept at obeying God that I shock myself with my own foolishness. It amazes me even more that God cares enough to come close to me despite my sin…but He does. Now that I have tasted that kind of love, I can’t go back to the rush. Not for long. Going to school at NorthStar has given me the opportunity to slow down in a way that not everyone gets to do. For that, I will always be grateful.
Columns:👤NSA People, 🗞️Staff Stories
Grace C. lives in the United States with her parents and many pets. She is a tenth grader enjoying her second year at NSA. Grace has a passion for creative writing and is currently working on a fantasy novel. Some of her other hobbies include exploring God's creation, raising bugs, hoarding books, and baking.