Move in day, freshman year
Do you have school age children? It is back to school time for most of them, whether they’re in elementary school or college. Yesterday, a friend of mine took her first born son to college for his freshman year. It was a bittersweet time for her as she watched this child morph into a man before her very eyes.
Similar to my experience, in the midst of setting up his room he got a message looked at her and said he had somewhere he had to be. It was time for her to leave. So, as he ran off to his meeting, something new and exciting, she walked to her car, carrying the pieces of her broken heart, trying to make it to the safety of her vehicle before flooding the campus with her tears. That was me twelve months ago.
I also took my son to college yesterday. We pulled up to the curb, he hopped out and grabbed a duffle bag, a pillow and his backpack, gave me a kiss on the check and was gone. He can’t move his things into his dorm until Saturday, so he’s sleeping on a sofa in his fraternity house until then. But even if we could have moved his things in yesterday, I would have been okay. It isn’t that I love my son any less, it’s just that I can see the bigger picture now. I have a year of being a college mom under my belt and I know what it’s like. I know I’ll survive, and frankly, after having him across the ocean for three months where I couldn’t reach him quickly if I wanted to, a drive down the interstate seems like a breeze.
It’s all about perspective. Webster defines perspective as:
the appearance to the eye of objects in respect to their relative distance and positions.
I’m able to see more of the picture than my friend, because I’ve traveled a little further down the road of releasing my child than she has. She’ll get there, but it takes time. She and I texted throughout the day as I encouraged her and let her know she would live through this and they’d both be better of because of it. Harder to believe on her side of the experience.
There are times in life when all of us face situations were we’re inexperienced and aren’t quite sure how to handle. It is during those times we need to rely on One who sees how it all plays out. He knows our past, present and future [Revelation 1:8]. He’s seen the full picture of our lives and can coach us and encourage us along the way, but we have to be in communication with Him for that to happen. We have to be willing to run to Him with our cares and concerns and trust He will guide us well [Proverbs 3:5-6].
1 Peter 5:7 says,
Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.”
He loves us, He feels our pain, and He knows how to help us navigate our way around things where we come out of the situation with as little collateral damage as possible. We can trust Him.
Hebrews 4:13 says,
Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight.”
What will you do today? Will you navigate on your own, trusting only in what you can see, or will you cry out to the One who sees all things? He has the better perspective. I’m running to Him.
I really needed to read this today. My girl has been gone for 3 weeks and it feels like 3 years. I might add to that, that I have seen her twice in that 3 weeks, but it’s different knowing they aren’t across the hall at night. She’s doing great and I know I will get there. This is what we have been preparing for all of their lives. I know she is grounded and I trust in The Lord with all my heart that hw will watch over her. This Momma thing is a hard hard job!
Shelia,
It gets easier in time, but it never goes away. My mom said at 70 years old she still misses having all her chickens in the nest. I’ve been gone for almost 25 years. I guess that’s a sign of loving well.
Your girl is precious. You raised her and loved her well. She’s doing what she was born to do, and so are you!