My girls went back to school on Monday. There is always lots of excitement that morning. We get to Oak Mesa early so that we can take pictures with friends. Rachel is there and is working through her nervous energy until it is her time to head to school. We are not allowed to take pictures in front of Ramona Middle School (Rachel's rule), so we are content to grab some of her friends at Oak Mesa and snap a few photos, which she will appreciate later.
The first day is always a little sad for me. It is the end of summer. I come back to a very quiet house. Buddy looks at me like, "What do we do now?" I grab his leach and take him on a long overdue morning walk. This year I got a good laugh when Rachel asked me if I jump on their beds the first day of school. The visual picture of me jumping on their beds almost drove me to do it! No, there was no jumping, there was praying.
One really can't argue that Satan is alive and well in our schools. I feel blessed to have been sheltered in some ways at Oak Mesa, but the middle school has been a challenge. There is filthy language, kids who are too young to date, and lots of friend drama. Sometimes it is overwhelming as a parent to hear all that your child has to face in the course of a day. I remember when Rachel was born, one of Dr. Dobson's books said that you only have 10 years to set the ground work for faith and a relationship with God. When they get into their early teens, they are set in their ways of thinking, and your role becomes less and less.
I am fortunate to have good communication with Rachel, but she still has to live her faith and make good choices during the day without me. When she chooses to be kind to someone lonely, or helpful to her neighbor, she is living her faith and shining a light for God. The greatest power I have as a parent is prayer. I pray that she will make wise choices, that she will stand firm in her faith even when it is not popular, and that she will keep the lines of communication open with me and God.
"And these words which I command you this day shall be upon your heart; and you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise." Duet. 6:6,7
We should all be in prayer for our youth. This world is getting darker, and they need to find the courage to be a light at school. As parents, we can be praying and teaching every day. Those teaching moments come when they have an issue with a friend and need to resolve it in a way that would please God, or they are learning something in class that is not in line with God's Word. Another way to teach is by example. I often pray that I will have the wisdom to live in a way that will be pleasing to God, my husband, and children.
Prayer is a powerful weapon against the enemy. Use it today!
Sandy
