It’s that time of year. The time when school age children flock to schools around the country in hopes of gaining the best education to set them up for success in life. Its the time of year that is filled with back to school sales, school supply purchases, new clothes and often new schools. For some parents this time of year can be a dread. You might be sending your child off to school for the very first time and are filled with nerves. After a hard year last year your might have chosen to send your child to a different school this year and you are anxious to discover if it was the right decision. Money might be tight and you just aren’t sure how you will pay for those needed school supplies, but you don’t want your child to be without. You are not alone and it will all be ok in the end. “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.” Luke 12:32
Also, for many parents this time of year is a time of relief. You may have stayed home with your child all summer and you are excited to get back to work or for them to have some children to play with. You might have been struggling to pay for child care for the summer and are seeking the relief of them returning to school. You might be excited for your children to move to the next stage in their educational career. You are not alone. We have all felt this way before. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28
Teachers spend countless hours in their classrooms preparing for that first day of school. They label desks, hang posters, prepare lesson plans, rearrange rooms and familiarize themselves with a new curriculum. They scrub walls, vacuum floors, wipe down counters, and anything else that needs to be done to makes sure things are ready for the entrance of the children in just a few weeks. Teachers read over children’s paperwork familiarizing themselves as much as they can with each student and in many situations spent many hours praying for each child in their class. They have never met a lot of the kids on their class list, but already love each and every one of them. You are not alone. We all see your devotion. “Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6
Children prepare with either excitement or dread for another new school year. Many students will enter classes with friends at a school they love, but others will enter an unfamiliar building surrounded by people who don’t even know their name. Some students will run to their best friends and hug on the first day of school sharing all the excitement they had over the summer, but others will sit in the corner shy and alone not sure how to branch out. Some kids are excited to jump start their education again, but some students struggle to meet the level they were in last year for school. Whether excited or dreading the start of school, you are not alone. We welcome you and support you. “And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.” Matthew 18:5.
It doesn’t matter which description, if any, above fits you. What matters is that you are not alone. We are all here to love and support one another throughout all of our lives. The education a child receives now, can change the world in the future. Let’s all work together and support one another as we send these kids back to school for another year of learning about this wonderful world that God has blessed us with. “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” Matthew 19:14
