Alright mommies, if you have kids in school then it’s likely they’ve had their first day by now and you’re finding the new rhythms of fall. Well, except that it is still 110 degrees here in Texas and we are anxiously awaiting the cooler weather to come with the “fall” school season. We have a kindergartener for the first time and it was a wild week. If there were any tears (there were) they weren’t from Knox (they were 1000% most definitely me). 😉 I have been preparing my heart for the last few weeks leading up to this first day, and I found scriptures that really medicated my heart as I wrapped my mind around him growing up & my job in this transition, and the weird transition of trusting somebody else to pour into your child.
Luke 1:30 “The angel said, ‘Don’t be afraid, Mary. God is honoring you.’”
I find this one so special, because Mary is the mother of Jesus. I often forget she was a young girl initially frightened by the task presented to her. And yet, the angel was so gentle and kind to her. Surely frightened many more times in the years to come within her job of “mommy”, Mary was a fully human mother who certainly went through the same dips and mountain tops we all go through. Yet God deemed her worthy of such a task for “such a time as this” (reference from the story of Esther, an equally powerful story about a woman of God!) simply because He found her honorable. You, mama, were made for this task. Though scary at times and a heavy load to carry, it’s a job He found you worthy of. You can trust him and his plans as you send your kids off prayerfully to school.
Genesis 28:14 “Your descendants will become like the dust of the earth; you will spread out to the west, east, north, and south. Every family of earth will be blessed because of you and your descendants.”
I pray this promise from Genesis over my own family as I entrust my babies to the Lord. Made first to the decedents of Abraham, this scripture is for us, too. Initially a foretelling of Christ to come, as believers in Christ himself who hold his spirit within us, we too become like dust spreading across the Earth. I like to imagine my babies as sugar spreading out everywhere they go, a taste of the goodness of God!
Proverbs 31:27 “She is vigilant over the activities of her household; she doesn’t eat the food of laziness.”
I find this one sweet to remember as I prepare intentionally every Sunday for the week. I lay out the week of clothes for Knox to choose from, prep meals and pack launches, and plan dinners etc. The way I manage my household will directly impact those who live in it. I get to carry the main mark of peace (or chaos) for my family. The more I prepare and do in advance, the more my home is a place of peace for my kids to live and come home to.
Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”
I have to remind myself this verse at least once a day, even before I had a kid leaving me every day for school. I don’t know about you, but my mind can come up with some wild scenarios. And often times, if I don’t capture them right away, they can go down trails that leave me feeling anxious. This verse reminds me to think of truth rather than what I fear.
Galatians 6:9 “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
I tell myself this scripture on my tougher days. No matter what the circumstances or context, if we keep pouring into something with faith and trust that God is on His throne in all things, then we we reap a harvest if we keep pouring into it faithfully. For my children, of course the harvest I hope to reap is children who love the Lord and give their lives to him. But even so, since they are freewill beings who will inevitably make their own decisions, part of that is still a prayer of my heart over the harvest I hope to reap. But the harvest I will most certainly reap for pouring faithfully into my children is that I will stand before the Lord one day to hold an account for my children. Did I steward their lives well and faithfully point them to Jesus? I hope to God I do and with confidence have the ability to say I never grew weary doing good.
