To The Parents Whose Kids Are Growing Up Too Fast

Moms of high school juniors:

• Have you cried over a graduation announcement from a current senior?
• Does the thought of this year’s class being the last to graduate before your child’s class undo you?
• Are you sad just imagining what it will be like this time next year?

That was me in May of 2015. I was in a complete funk over the reality of senior year. In fact, I think I cried more that May than I did the May my daughter actually graduated. So for the parent who is there now, my reflection one week prior to my daugther’s gradution… 

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Over the course of the past few months an interesting shift as occurred in me and I’ve come to accept the inevitable and see it is time. This not to say I won’t be a basket case come college move-in day (and probably next weekend, too), but even still I feel a peace I didn’t expect to have considering the next chapter we are entering. And my excitement for my girl exceeds my own sadness (at least today).

What I’ve been hit with and comforted by is the realization that just as God has been preparing my daughter to fly from our nest, he has faithfully been preparing me too.

I can look back over the past eighteen years and see God’s presence from the time we had no idea what to expect in pregnancy to the not knowing how to parent a teen. I can laugh about the fretting over babies’ schedules and see how he has guided us as we’ve worked our way through disciplining at each age, dealing with sibling rivalry, navigating girl drama, school stress, trials, tribulations, suffering and joy. While each new situation and stage felt scary, God gave us the grace and the strength and the wisdom we needed.

Grace, strength and wisdom coming at us through his word, fellow believers and in prayer – his instruments for building us up, encouraging us and pointing us to his truths. How thankful I am for all the small group Bible studies through the years (some of which included lots of interuptions from our little ones), friendships with women slightly ahead of me on the parenting scope and the faithful preaching of the word by my husband (and brother-in-law) for both my good and growth and the good and growth of my children. And the fact my daughter views having a church home and friendships with believing families in her college town with the upmost importance comes not because we are such great parents but because she too has seen her need for his word and his people in her life.

So with confidence I can say God will be with us still as we send her to college. And with confidence I can say to all you parents whose kids are growing up too fast, whether the baby you were just cradling is now walking or your first born is headed to kindergarten, middle school or high school in the fall – “Trust in the Lord with all your might and lean not on your own understanding, but in all your ways submit to him and he will make your paths straight (Proverbs 3:5).” 

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