Senior Year

My baby girl is a senior. I cannot believe it. I am really trying to transition my mindset and my heart so that I give her the space she needs and the patience she deserves as she makes her way through the days ahead. Colorful college ads fill the mailbox,and admissions agents jam the answering machine with cleverly crafted messages vying for her attention. How did this happen so fast? A young mom friend called yesterday asking me questions about preschool material, and I was racking my brain with the wonder of it all! The time has flown! And every doubt I ever had about homeschooling has been easily dismissed by the One who called me to go this route.

I am actually entering this senior year heavy on satisfaction. Did I do everything perfectly? No way. Was the Lord faithful at every juncture? Absolutely. The Lord is true to His Word, and that's what has made all the difference.
My column in the September issue of ParentLife tells of the first day of my senior year. Here's a portion of it:

On the morning of my first day as a senior in high school, I received a precious card from my mom. She had somehow managed to slip into my room unseen and prop it on my dresser. In it, she prayed blessings upon the year ahead, adding that while she knew it would be an exciting time for me, it would be bittersweet for her.

When my daughter looks back on her senior year, it's going to be quite different from mine. Going into it, she loves Jesus far more than I did at that point in my life. In fact, it was the summer before my senior year that I renewed my commitment to Christ. I had squandered my high school years, and I didn't want to spend my senior year the same way. Still, my faith was so immature. Danya is far more grounded, and there is a simple explanation: She is in God's Word. Day in, day out, she is faithful to study and apply His Holy Word to her life. That's where everything starts and ends.
So, twenty-five years later, on this first day of a new school year, I'm the mom. I'm the one who writes the card. I'm the one who knows that this year will be bittersweet. And I'm the one who hopes she doesn't catch me crying!
Learning as I go,