Five Days

I walked away with peace beyond my own comprehension last Monday, the day I left my children in the hands of foreigners whose characters I did not know and whose language I barely understood. It was the only choice I had, really, if I wanted to give my children their best shot at a good start to the next school year. So I let God lift me up high enough to stare that challenge in the face unblinking.

It was hard. Every day. Five mornings of the scariest, most intense thing my husband and I have ever asked our children to do. Five mornings of leaving two huge parts of my heart in the hands of strangers whose vocabulary only partially overlapped with our own. Five mornings of early dropoffs, begging God to flourish them and ground each of my little girls in the absolute certainty of His very Presence. His I-will-never-leave-you promise.

Five nights of early bedtime, pure exhaustion that caused quick-to-sleep. Five nights pouring into each of them the promises of the very Living God. Faithful Friend, Who not only hears every word but understands more than any human possibly could. Creator of the entire world who lives inside of them because of Jesus Christ. The very Word of God alive inside them. Always there. Promises of the Only Real Peace, which guards hearts who trust Him. The promise of protected hearts. And the promise that He is showing Himself true even when they have no strength to do any of it.

Five straight afternoons of thanking Him in the car on the way home. On the way to the park after school. On the way to lunch. Five afternoons of remembering the One Who got us to the moment when I could pick them up and walk them to the car.

And then we celebrated! We praised God in the rest He gave us as we drove three hours to Legoland Deutschland and enjoyed the amazing of the gifts He has given us in each other and in the fun of creation (creation of the Lego persuastion, I mean).

So, I thank you for praying. And I am ever-so-glad to say that God pulled us through the toughest week so far.

I wish I could write that because of those five days, we are guaranteed a smooth start to next school year. That would be nice. Truth is, those days will show His strength even more than last week’s five days. And I could start worrying about that now. But I am learning that He will give us what we need on each of those day-after-days. Because all He asks of us is today.

And so, this today, I will rest, just as I will on those todays. But the rest of this today comes a little easier, I think. Mostly because this one only asks for staying home.