By Katrena Thomason
SBS Alumni Parent
Everyone is probably familiar with the phrase “good things come to those who wait.” It most likely came from a poem by Lady Mary Montgomerie Currie, also known as Violet Fane. Her poem Tout vient a qui sait attendre was published in the late 1800s:
All hoped-for things will come to you
Who have the strength to watch and wait,
Our longings spur the steeds of Fate,
This has been said by one who knew.
‘Ah, all things come to those who wait,’
(I say these words to make me glad),
But something answers soft and sad,
‘They come, but often come too late.’
We are beyond excited to see the completion of the new building on campus at StoneBridge School! We have been waiting a long time for this good thing, and it is certainly not too late!
Over the years I have learned that we must wait on the Lord because His timing is perfect. And as we wait for the things that we hope and pray for, we should offer Him praise and thanksgiving for the here and now. There is so much beauty all around us each and every day, and if we are constantly rushing through our lives wishing we were at the next phase, doing the next thing, we miss out on the good things that are right in front of us. Sadly, if you are like me, we often don’t realize this until we are a little older and have the opportunity to reflect on how the Lord has brought us this far.
Our Journey to the StoneBridge Family
Several weeks ago, Dr. Grant Ethridge, senior pastor of Liberty Live Church in Hampton, Virginia, preached such a timely message about “failing forward.” I have been pondering a lot lately about this incredible life that God has given our family—a life that has been and continues to be full of mountains and valleys, victories and losses, successes and failures. As a 23-year-old newlywed, I could never have imagined what God had in store for us. Since we all anxiously awaited the completion of the new building on the SBS campus, I thought it fitting to share with you how God planned for us to be part of the SBS family.
In 2006, we prayerfully considered where to send our oldest daughter to school not knowing how this one decision would become the beginning of God’s master plan for us over the next two decades. Obviously, we decided StoneBridge was the right place for our little girl. We loved the mission, and we had heard such good things about the students that graduated from the school. We were committed to giving our daughters a Christian education even though it was a financial sacrifice. Those first couple of years were wonderful. We watched Kingsley develop a love for learning, we were all growing through the focus on the Bible in each subject and Tyndale memorizations, we made new friends, and life was good.
Staying the Course
Then in 2008 the economy tanked, and Noel’s construction business began to struggle. We had to figure out a way to make things work and keep Kingsley at SBS. In 2009, Noel decided to use his GI Bill and go back to school to become a teacher. The next five years proved to be a very difficult season for our family. Noel was working full time and going to school. The Lord provided work for him through a couple different avenues during this time—home inspections and an incredibly messy and cold job at the Port of Virginia cleaning cranes. We would both be up late at night so he could complete his assignments after working a full day. Kingsley was in 2nd grade when these changes started, and Elise was a toddler.
In 2010, I went back to work full time after working part time for five years. My job was stressful. Life was hard. I suppose it’s always tough when you have young kids, but it was especially hard balancing family, work, and school. We also started attending a new church in 2010 and got connected in a community group where we met the Brueseke family and so many other great people. This helped us navigate through the valley that seemed so deep. Elise began kindergarten at SBS in 2011. We still loved the school, and it continued to be a struggle for us financially, but we were committed to stay the course.
Noel completed his graduate degree, and when he was ready to look for a teaching job in 2014, he had all intentions of working in public school. He did his student teaching at Churchland High School and really felt he could be a light and show those kids the love of Jesus. However, God had something else in mind. There just so happened to be an opening for a high school teacher at StoneBridge. They needed someone to teach Bible and science—an odd combination! Noel’s undergrad degree was in Christian Ministry, and in his Career Switcher program at Regent, he decided to take his Praxis certifications in science.
We did a lot of praying during this season. Our family prayed. In particular, Elise prayed that her daddy would teach at her school. Noel was offered the job at StoneBridge, and he accepted it. We were all so excited for this opportunity. The pay was not great in private Christian education, but we got a great tuition discount, and Noel got to work where our girls went to school. He was able to be an integral part of their education, and he was able to go to all the school activities and sports. It was amazing to see how God’s plan for us was coming together. We were finally in a much better place financially.
In 2015, I was offered my dream job at TowneBank which gave me so much time back with our family after working in public accounting for 19 years. I’ll never forget that day in September when I saw the CFO and COO at a conference in Washington, D.C., where they asked me if I would be interested in coming to work for the bank. It was a wonderful transition for us. Both of us were in jobs we loved, and Noel had summers off. He had so much quality time with the girls.
Kingsley graduated from SBS in 2019, and then COVID struck her second semester in college. The world was in a pandemic, and it was difficult for everyone. Noel was teaching virtually and not loving it. Here we were at another crossroads: should he stay at StoneBridge or take the job he was offered at Hampton Roads Regional Jail in adult education? We prayed through this too, and he left SBS. I truly felt he may end up back at SBS at some point, but for now, he was called to minister to inmates. I was proud of him for venturing out yet also sad that he wouldn’t be at school with Elise.
Failing Forward: Trusting in God’s Plan
Life during the pandemic was challenging for us just like everyone else. Thankfully SBS had in-person instruction even though the public schools did not that first year. Noel was invited to speak at retreat in September of 2021. He did a great job, and I think we all missed him being at StoneBridge. A few months later, then-Head of School Kathy Rader announced her retirement, and I immediately thought Noel should apply. He didn’t feel the same at first. But after much prayer and encouragement from family and friends in the SBS community, he finally decided to go for it.
If you’ve been at StoneBridge over the last few years, you know the rest of the story: he was offered the job. He is now in his third year as Head of School, and when school started this August, we were finally in the new Upper School building! The 2023-2024 academic year was filled with the challenges of construction on campus, but God has sustained us. He is so good! Elise graduated in June. Both our girls thrived at SBS.
We still love SBS. We love the mission, and we love our SBS family. Life is filled with ups and downs, but the Lord’s plans and His timing for those plans are always perfect.
In closing, I’ll share a point from Pastor Grant’s sermon that I referenced earlier: “When you fail forward, God will give you a new strategy. God changes His strategy, so you will trust him.” He has the perfect strategy in mind for you and for me. We just need to trust Him. Even though we struggled at times over the past several years, it is clear to see that the Lord used those struggles to get us where we are today. We are so thankful for the good things He planned for our family, for His provision and that He called us to this journey with StoneBridge over 18 years ago.
Proverbs 16:9, “We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.”
