08/28/2024
This week wraps up “back to school” for many families. Take a moment to find peace in these words as you pray them over your heart and your child.
From A Liturgy For Dropping Off a Child at School found in Every Moment Holy, Volume III
Creator God, who parents us all, hold my heart as I practice letting go, hold this child as the school day begins.
May this bittersweet pang point me toward a deeper truth, where each small goodbye— be it silly or tense, tired or tender—is a chance to give thanks for the gift of this child, and to remember that they are neither my possession nor my identity.
I am not the author of their story, Lord. You are.
I am not their ultimate protector, Lord. You are.
This is both a relief and a surrender, as I release the prideful notion that my proximity secures their safety.
I have no shield with which to guard them, but your unending faithfulness; no comfort to console them, but your transcendent peace; no assurance to offer them, but your perfect love.
Every day my child is more aware of this beautiful, hurting, complex world. As their mind grows in understanding may they also grow in faith, seeking and finding your presence, Lord. Be to them a constant friend through the crowded and lonely hallways of these formative years.
When they feel anxious or insecure, remind them they are loved When they feel pressure to impress and prove their worth to peers, remind them they are already loved.
When they make mistakes, great and small, and feel the sting of shame, remind them that no matter what, they are fiercely and completely loved.
May they see themselves as part of your kingdom already breaking through, shining light into shadows with every action done in love.
