When “Back-To-School” Isn’t Us…Yet.

I’ve seen the pictures flood my social media – kiddos going back to school, with the caption often entailing a tear, an emotional good-bye, and a “how did they get so old” thought pattern.

And though this is not me yet, it will be. Next year.

As a parent, one thing we will all inevitably experience, are the days of sending our kids to school. Whether we send them “off” or teach them in the home, schooling is a blessing that our society gets to experience and embrace.

But that doesn’t mean it’s easy. The thought of sending our sweet Mazy off into a classroom, filled with unknowns and unfamiliar faces, of course makes this mama’s heart wonder, protect, and pray. Her feelings are going to hurt, her confidence is going to be stretched, and her little self is just going to grow and grow.

Are we ready?

One thing I find myself asking this week is: “Am I doing enough?” We chose to not send Mazy to 3-school, not that we didn’t think she was ready, but for the mere fact that we didn’t realize we had to register her last January! I was still recovering from my surgeries and had put little to no thought into the idea. So, we decided to wait another year and she would join the traditional preschool at the age of 4. Easy enough!

But that has made me think…how can I make the most of this upcoming year with her at home? How can I ensure that I don’t have to keep asking myself, “am I doing enough?”

The answer lies within my faith. I have to have the faith that God has given me all that I need to parent Mazy the way SHE needs me to love and parent her. It’s as simple as that. I need to rely on God to give me all that I need – each and every day. What each day brings, as much as it seems up to me what we do in a given day, really is up to God – IF I choose to ask Him!

Isn’t that for all of us as Christians? If you just sent your child off to school, you may be feeling this void. And maybe you are jumping for joy! But regardless of where you are at, one thing we need to ensure we keep doing as parents, is realize that our parenting can only go so far. What each day brings, is really up to God. The troubles our kids may encounter, the hurts they may experience, and those triumphs in a day, are all things that God allows and uses for our good – and most of all, our kids’ good.

I am learning that “letting go” of Mazy is sure hard. But at the same time, I am so eager to see how God uses her! He has this amazing plan for her life, and I have the most beautiful opportunity to have a front row seat! What an honor. What an opportunity. And how humbling to be able to be a part of that plan.

Did you send a kiddo off to school? Are you an empty nester? Are you a few years out from sending one off to school? Are you waiting for God to knit that little one in your womb? Whatever the case may be, letting go of what we try to control, is one of the most freeing things we could ever do to our lives and our faith. God has given us a front row seat to His plan for our lives and our kids’. Seize the opportunity and embrace every moment of the present. Because the future, well, it’s in God’s hands. Not ours!