All over the country, kids are getting ready to go back to school. In some parts of the country, school has already started. It’s a time of anticipation, nerves, and, sometimes, negotiating a new school. This means seeing old friends, making new friends and facing new teachers.
I have covered every angle of back to school in my lifetime as a student, a parent, a grandparent, a paraprofessional, a bus driver and again as a student. Each role has had its own challenges, and throughout my life, I’ve met them all with prayer. Often, others have prayed for me.
I remember when my daughter, Annie, started her first day of kindergarten. She was so excited; I was terrified. My baby was going out into the “big, bad, world,” and I wouldn’t be there to protect her. She survived, and so did I. But I sure prayed hard that first day, especially when her return bus was an hour late.
Who in your life is going back to school this fall? When you pray for them, remember to also pray for teachers, principals, lunch ladies, bus drivers and others who will touch the students’ lives during the school year.
This message is excerpted from “All prayers welcome” by Nancy Giddings from the August 29, 2016, blog of the Women of the ELCA.
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