By Senior Chaplain Mike Wilhelm

As many of you probably know, we had terrible wildfires pass through the Texas Panhandle recently. Fires moved eastward across the ranch land west of our campus, causing an evacuation here. I’m happy to report that everyone is safe and sound, and the destructive fires did not touch our campus.

The fires did change the land west of our campus. I went out there on horseback with 10 young men for a sunset prayer ride. The rugged escarpment is black and bare, and the mesquite trees and yucca plants look like burnt match sticks. It looks much like an otherworldly scene from a low-budget science fiction movie. As we rode, I overheard the boys talking about some tiny wildflowers they noticed peeking through the char. Even more, we could once again meander through a favorite trail in a ravine that had been closed for months. It was reopened because the fire had burned up the countless thousands of tumbleweeds that had been blocking the route.

“Wow! God brought something good from the fire,” said one of the boys. I heard another say, “It’s like a symbol!”

My young friends are right. The flowers and the reopened trail are powerful symbols of God’s nature. He is the author of New Beginnings (Rev. 21:5), and many of these new beginnings come straight out of the fire.

This time of year, with graduation approaching, I’m especially grateful for the new beginnings made possible through our school.

For many of our kids, school before coming to Boys Ranch had been a source of frustration and shame. Thankfully, Boys Ranch offers a much-needed new beginning for school. We are blessed with a culture of educators who have the compassion, commitment and creativity to restore confidence and success in the classroom. High School graduations that once seemed out of reach have become a reality here.

What I’ve noticed over the years is that the foundation of the school experience at Boys Ranch is not based on programs, methods or technology (as important as these things might be). The new beginnings in the classroom at Boys Ranch are based on vibrant human relationships. Don’t believe me? Come have lunch on our campus and watch the student-teacher interactions, and you’ll see exactly what I mean! 

The new beginnings in the classroom are a fitting symbol of what God is making new in Christ. Through the fire, God brings New Beginnings. Right now, I’m happy to report that we have three young Christ-followers who are preparing for baptism. Thank you for the important role you play in making all these new beginnings a reality here.