Georgia – The Head, the Heart, and the Hands

“Not to be ministered unto but to minister.” – Martha Berry

Thirteen years ago Jodi and I were married at Berry College. We met at Berry in an Adventure Sports class, I proposed to Jodi at Berry in the moonlight of the Old Mill Waterwheel, and then we were married at the Berry College Chapel. Coming back to Berry is much like coming home, and what makes it even more special is being able to share our past with our kids. We spent the last couple of days driving and hiking to places on and off campus, telling our kids our story, so that they might better know their own. What blessed opportunities we have to be thankful for – the generosity of the Alumni Center, the kindness and competence of the BOLD staff, as well as the many people in Rome and at Berry who have welcomed us!  The kids especially loved climbing on the rock wall.  Chloe said it well, “Berry is the most fun place ever!!!”

Boasting the largest campus in the world (26,000 acres), Berry has a beauty that has never changed, the grounds, the architecture of the buildings, the wildlife. Truly, everything is only as good as the foundation it was built upon, and Berry College is a remarkable school with an incredible beginning. Martha Berry founded it in 1902, as a school to educate the poor, illiterate North Georgia mountain children. Her curriculum would be one to educate the head, the hands, and the heart, as she sought to teach knowledge and understanding, not only through books but through work and life experiences, all while showing that everything you do should be done unto the Lord. When her boys built a barn, Miss Berry said, “We put spires on churches because they are places of worship on Sunday. Why not have a spire on our barn to remind the boys that their work can be a part of worship every day?” A number of buildings were built by the students themselves. It is how they paid for their schooling. As for fundraising, Miss Berry never asked for money, much like George Muller. She would talk about her school and how she was helping those that could not afford an education. God would then move on the hearts of those who heard her message, and the needed funds would come in from donors like Henry Ford and Andrew Carnegie. We could go on and on about the character of Berry’s founder and how that was translated into the school itself.

The richness of the history of Berry really impacts us as we want to impress on the hearts of our children the importance of family, of being industrious, of living a life that glorifies God whether you be at work or play. We want to give our kids a vision for the future, like Martha Berry had for the mountain kids she invested her life and resources in. We pray that they will be men and women who impact this world for Christ whether that be in their simple, daily life or in something “big” that God calls them to. Thank you Martha Berry for your willing heart. Thank you Thomas Berry(her father) for investing your life into your daughter the way you did. How awesome to be a part of that kind of legacy! May we somehow attempt to reach so noble a goal in our own lives!

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Georgia Media Spots:
September 1, 2011 – Rome News-Tribune
September 7, 2011 – 11 Alive News
September 8, 2011 – Berry College Campus Carrier