As I sit in my quiet house on the first day of school 2016 I am both elated and a little sad. Elated for a quiet house, running errands without 3 kids complaining, elated that I can get back to a routine and finally tackle the thousand and one things I’ve put off because it was summer and it was just too tempting to be lazy and spontaneous and not do those things.
When I walked my little 3rd grade twins into their classrooms this morning (I love that they still let me walk them to class!) they both looked so brave and nervous all rolled into one. It’s the first year they won’t be in the same class, which makes us all a little sad and it’s the first year with “switch teachers” which is a big deal when you’re 8! As nervous as they were I knew they would be okay. They are at a wonderful school with caring teachers and sweet kids that they’ve known since kindergarten. They will be safe, loved on and accepted and they will come home to a loving home greeted with brownies and popcorn and a mom and dad asking them all about their first day. I am so grateful that my husband and I are able to provide a safe, loving home for our kids and I am also heartbroken thinking about all the kids this first day of school that are also nervous and anxious but don’t have a mom or dad to hold their hand, give them a hug and tell them it’s going to be okay.
Today I have a bold request, if you are a prayerful person and you are praying for your kids today will you also say a prayer for the kids that don’t have a mom or dad praying for them? Will you pray for the kids in foster care that are consistently the “new kid” and never feel quite like the other kids in their class? Will you pray for the kids that didn’t get to go back to school shopping or the kids that have never had a mom that would pack their lunch? Will you pray for the kids that might be in your kid’s class, the kids that may “act out” and use bad language because that is the behavior and language they hear at home? Will you pray that these kids find one kind friend to help them feel “normal and accepted”?
As you pray for your babies will you pray that these kids have a teacher that notices their struggles and works hard to reach them and support them? Will you pray that we as a community can come together and love these kids that we can do a better job as parents helping our kids to love and accept these kids that just want to feel normal, that just want to feel accepted?
Your prayers will make a difference. It just takes one caring person to change the course of another person’s life.