The First Week

Thursday, August 19, 2010  ::  


The first week of school has almost come to a close. They survived. They always do.

Every year, two weeks before school starts, my blood pressure rises on a daily basis, I find my self growling, irritation almost leaks from my pores. During the two weeks leading up to the first day we spend way to much money on supplies, clothes, and sports. The kids bicker and pester like no body's business. I tell Chad about a million times, "I can't wait for school to start."

And then, that darn first day shows up.

This year my silly children woke up at 5am because they were so excited. Just so you know, they aren't allowed to get out of bed on Christmas morning until 6am. The funny thing is that I asked them to be quiet for one more hour, but I didn't go back to sleep. I stayed in bed and stared at the ceiling.

My brain went berserk for the next hour... and most of the first day.

"I wonder what kind of people their teachers are. Will Morgan and Carah make friends easily at their new school? God, give them favor with their new teachers. Please help them to actually learn about triangles not half-squares this year. Oh no! We forgot to ask where the bathrooms are at open house. Kyle is sure excited to see his friends. I hope he isn't disappointed. Will he continue to lead them or will that begin to change this year? I've heard his teacher is a yeller and he hates to be in trouble. Please, Jesus, help Kyle to not get yelled at. And Esther, 8th grade, *big sigh*, keep her on the path of purity, God. Give her favor with the group of kids that don't care what others think. Steer her away from mean girls. Oh, thank you that she loves Morgan and Carah and will play with them still and tells them that she loves them. I'm glad they love each other. Do they really have to go to school today? I can't protect them there. Jesus, you love them more than I love them. Please, please, please protect them, keep their hearts turned towards you. Speak to them through-out the day. Help them to love you deeply and love the people around them."

On Thursday evening, with one day left in this first week of school, they are exhausted, difficult to wake up in the morning, eating so much because they use so much energy during the day... AND... they are content, finding favor with their teachers, making new friends, mindful of praying through-out the day, and looking forward to a great year.

Me? I'm grateful that Jesus loves my children more than I could possibly imagine. I'm trusting him that this is going to be the exact year for them that He intends for it to be. The victories will give them confidence in Him as we worship him through those experiences. The difficulties will teach them that He is refining them to be people who are dependent on Him. The plain ole normal days where nothing much happens will teach all of us that He will give us peace as we faithfully put our hands to the plow and live our lives for His glory alone.

7 important comments so far. What are your thoughts?

wearitbaseball said...

Great post Angel. It's nice to hear what's going on inside the head of a Godly woman in regards to her kids.

NO HALF-SQUARES!

Emily said...

I just want you to know that I love that you are able to trust Jesus with your kids in a world where Christians try their hardest to keep their kids in a bubble. I hope that I can be as trusting as you are with Yemi and know that their experiences at school when you are not with them are still shaping them into who Jesus wants them to be. I love you and love learning from you!

Unknown said...

ok...the part that gets me...I cannot protect them there. away from the nest. so scary. with every passing day, my girls get closer to this stage, and i must confess that it terrifies me. i must learn to trust Jesus more and more and turn all that He has given to me, back to Him. thank you for this honest post. It is encouraging to my heart. Love you tons and can't wait to see you again.

Jen said...

This post truly resonates with me as our family goes through the change of a new school and the fears and worries of Abby making new friends and fitting in. You remind me to once again put my trust in Jesus and know that He is shaping Abby into who He wants her to be and that it is not my story to write but hers to discover through Him. Thank you for sharing and I couldn't be happier that our girls are together. Your family is very special to us!

Anonymous said...

I love these kiddos so much! They are wonderful and I am excited to see how God continues to shape them and into people who love Him more and love others more.
Thanks for your authenticity! Love you! -Tia

Alysa said...

Thank you for sharing this! I am going to bookmark it and come back to it when our kids are going off to their first day of school.

Anonymous said...

You have a blog! I'm so excited!

Just wanted to say that you are such a great mother and your kids are so lucky to have you on their side, walking with them, praying for them and guiding them.

I love that picture. You have four beautiful children!

Tyra

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