The CAC Heart

Alumna Lauren McLemore shares a small piece of her CAC experience. 

Have you ever met someone overflowing with passion and it made you wonder what they had that you didn’t? I used to wonder what people meant when they said CAC was different. “Like, the good kind or the bad kind?” I would ask. “Just different.” The atmosphere of the school was so full that it made people wonder. It made them ask. It inspired them to search. What happens on the inside that gives it that look on the outside? Behind the scenes, the people are the root of the image. If you peeked inside, you would see teachers who are invested in more than grading papers and teenagers who long to serve. You would see an administration that trades class time for mission projects and you would pass by students signing banners for injured students at rival schools. You would see joyful hearts.

“When joy is a habit, loving people is a reflex” – Bob Goff

In my four years at CAC, I learned “different” was, in fact, the good kind. When you have leaders that are as invested in your spiritual health as they are your education, you get a community that grows in success, but they also grow in love. By being given the opportunity to get involved with Mustang Missions, I was opened up to a side of serving that was real. It’s one thing to give money for a dress up day, but most times, while I knew that I had blessed someone, I never saw the fruit that came of that donation. There’s something raw about going to Access Gators or Mustang Christmas and being face to face with the person you want to serve. It’s that point of heart-to-heart connection with other people that CAC teaches so well. It’s part of what led to me to become a missionary.

A student body being taught how to devote their time to furthering the Kingdom is a student body whose hearts are being filled with goodness and truth. They belong to a school that understands the importance of authenticity and vulnerability inside and outside of the classroom. They are learning how to see people, not just look at them. It’s what gives CAC its look on the outside and why people say that it’s… different (the good kind.)

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”  Matthew 6:21 (NIV)