For the last few days, my news feed has been filled with pictures of sweet children going back to school or starting school for the very first time. There are so many feelings and emotions surrounding the images; sadness, celebration, fear, relief, pride and almost always a longing for time to slow down.
Each picture prompts a prayer for the mama whose heart is heavy with the weight of change. Change, that snuck up while she was busy tending to her little ones. Change, that is irreversible and only leads to more.
A heart like mine, that remembers a chubby cheek little guy, less than two, headed out to his first day of preschool. Today, we took his picture again as our Marine Corps PFC headed back to California.
Change is the title of my current season.
For the first time in 18 years, I didn’t go back to work when kids went back to school. For the first time in mothering, a wedding dress hangs in our home and I can count on two hands the number of times all my children will sleep under my roof as mine. Change is pressing in on all sides.
The waves of change are overwhelming, and unsettling as they usher in the new.
In the midst of great change, I am reminded that my soul and hope are anchored to the unchangeable.
- His everlasting love for me, and the ones I love, never changes. (Jeremiah 31:3)
- His promise of a plan to prosper not to harm, and to give a future and a hope, never changes. (Jeremiah 29:11)
- His promise to bind the brokenhearted and exchange beauty for ashes, never changes. (Isaiah 61:1-3)
- His promise to make all things work together for good, never changes. (Romans 8:28)
I will respond with gratitude and give thanks in all things, even change. I will trust the One who goes before me, who is writing my story and those of my children.
To all the mama’s experiencing change today, you are not alone. I pray that you will know that you are seen and known by a loving God. Rest in the unchanging arms of the Father. I pray that you will savor each moment with your little ones and take every opportunity to teach them about the One who knew them before they were born and has a plan for their lives. The One who will hold them steady when the waves of change come. Our Anchor, forever.
