The simple ministry of clean socks

"That’s so neat," Sarah commented as she placed my son’s pants neatly in a drawer.

"What?" I replied without looking up.

"Mr. Clark. Your kids. I never had that growing up."

I glanced up from the socks I was pairing and caught her eye.

"That’s what I want, Mrs. Clark."

The fullness of Sarah’s words stayed with me the rest of the day. Somehow, with those few simple sentences she had managed to capture the essence of this ministry I’ve been a part of these past ten years.

Oakdale Christian Academy has been committed to excellence since its conception as Oakdale Vocational School in the 1920s. Excellence in academics, excellence in work, and excellence in service have continued to define the focus of this ministry despite many changes during the past 75 years.

However, it is more than excellence that makes Oakdale such a unique place.

When I was in college, I administered a service organization in which students volunteered to work with people in the local community. We tutored disadvantaged children, mentored at-risk kids and teens, taught undereducated adults to read, counseled the dying through a Hospice program, and befriended elderly who chose to remain in their own home. The volunteers I worked with were amazing people. So amazing they were awarded a Presidential Points of Light Award in 1991.

It was during my work with this agency that I began to see the truly incredible power of the human spirit. It was astounding to see the change one person could affect in another’s life just by sharing of themselves.

Yet there is something even greater that causes Oakdale to be the unique place it is. For the human spirit can only give for so long on its own before it grows tired and weary of its work. It is the human spirit, subject to the working of the Holy Spirit that makes Oakdale unique. Simply put, the Oakdale staff are not only dedicated to giving all of themselves to their ministry, but also to God.

Because many students like Sarah haven’t experienced a family with God at the center, they love the Oakdale atmosphere and may not want to leave. Once they see the power and beauty of the Holy Spirit in the everyday lives of the staff, they don’t want to return to a life where this doesn’t exist.

Every day Oakdale staff open up their lives and homes to show students what life can be. For many, this can be a life-changing experience in and of itself. For some, like Sarah, it can define the reality they want to own some day.

The other day as I was sitting on a picnic bench by the campus playground watching my children, Chelsea, a junior high girl, sat down beside me. I began to ask her about her day at school and how her grades were coming when she interrupted me. "Y’know, Mrs. Clark" she said as she glanced over at the playground, "I never wanted to have kids before I came here. I’ve learned a lot from you guys."

I turned away as I wasn’t sure whether I could express to her why I had tears in my eyes. It is sometimes overwhelming to realize the life-changing impact your life has made on someone else’s. But, that is what makes Oakdale unique and what I have been so blessed to share.