This morning my girl started her sophomore year of high school. {yes, all the feels. all of them.} And I realized it was the last time I’d drive her to her first day of school. Next year she’ll drive herself. Not going to lie, it feels like there is a boulder in my throat and I have tears in my eyes just typing these words. As I prayed with her in the car, I tried not to sob … but it wasn’t pretty as I pulled away from the school. It’s good, y’all, this watching our babies grow up. I know that … but sometimes even the best stuff is hard. And today was good … and hard. And that is okay.
Here’s my prayer for my girl as she begins her sophomore year.
Watch over my baby, Lord. She’ll step out of my car this morning and head into school. Today isn’t her FIRST first day of school but every fiber of my being recognizes how few first days of school she has left.
I’ll watch her walk up that sidewalk toward the high school and in my mind all I will see is that little blonde girl with the huge bow and Mary Jane shoes and the Cinderella backpack that was bigger than she was as she walked toward her first day of preschool. Everyone told me then time would fly by and it has.
She’s changed so much since that day and so have I. But You haven’t. You’re still the same, faithful and loving and full of immeasurable grace. I look back on the past 15 years and sometimes all I see are the failures. But then I look at her and I know how much I love her, even with her very normal teenagery personality and hormones, and I realize that all those failures didn’t change Your love for me.
So this morning, I sit here, teary-eyed and with a lump in my throat, knowing full well these days of her in our home are drawing to an end. More than anything I want to end well … I want to show her the grace You freely give. I long for her to know her true identity is in You alone. I pray she will be a shining light among her peers. I hope she’ll remember to be kind and encourage others.
Watch over my baby, Lord. Because the truth is, as much as I love her and desire good things for her, You love her more and better … and Your plan for her is good. This year, my prayer for her is that she will grasp hold of the truth that You are all she really needs and that she will spend the rest of her life clinging to the hope that truth gives.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
Y’all, it really is my deepest desire that she KNOW God is enough, He’s all she needs. And that is my deepest desire for myself as well. It’s so easy to get lost in chasing the things of this world — and they always leave us empty.
My prayer for my daughter as she starts her sophomore year of high school. Share on XSo, here’s to starting a new school year with a passion for Him!
xo,
Teri Lynne
Octavia says
This got me all teary eyed too! My oldest goes into grade 9 this year. 9!??!? This is my prayer for my children as well.
Teri Lynne Underwood says
It really does happen in the blink of an eye, doesn’t it? This growing up we think will take so long happens faster than we could ever have imagined possible. Thank you for stopping by today, Octavia.
SAMANTHA L PEACOCK says
Do you have a prayer for freshman year? I am always encouraged by your prayers.
Teri Lynne Underwood says
I don’t, I’m so sorry! I do have a prayer for the first day of school and I wrote a back to school prayer.