By Sarah Shrader
Guest columnist
Dear God,
I can’t believe it is time for my kids to go back to school already, but, ready or not, here we go. Please protect them, Lord, all year through. Put your loving arms around my babies and walk with them every single day.
God, please help them to make the most of this school year – help them to treat every day as an opportunity to fill their brain with knowledge. Relax them when times get overwhelming and pull them back to your promises and your word. Remind them that they are loved, worthy, cherished and blessed – even if they don’t get the best grade on a test or happen to make a mistake on the playground.
Please Lord, help them to stay on task and just do their very best – not the best in the class, or better than so and so – just their best. Help them to put forth the effort, learn from their errors and celebrate wins that are fitting to their abilities.
God, revive the babies of mine that are anxious about the year – give them hope and courage as they step inside those hallways – and show them that this year can be as good as they want to make it. And please keep the excitement lingering throughout the year for my babies that cannot wait to get back in their desk – may they keep their joy for school all year long.
Some of my kids are entering into grades where friends are different than they used to be. Lord, what I wouldn’t do to protect each and every one of my babies from mean comments and broken friendships. But I know that they will learn and grow from all of it – and I know that You will be by our sides to help us through it all together.
Which brings me to us parents. God, please be with all of us Moms and Dads as the school year begins – help us all get back into a comfortable, steady routine. Please bless our mornings – however chaotic they may seem on some days – and guide our words and advice as we send our babies off for the day.
As evenings turn to the rush of sports, homework, dinner, showers and bedtime, please make sure we carve out time to really listen to the pieces of their day that they share – especially those that may seem insignificant to us as adults but mean the world to them. God, help us to be present when time seems to be passing so quickly, to slow down and soak in those bedtime hugs just a little longer.
Father God, please use your love to remind all the teachers – especially on their hard days – of why they fell in love with teaching in the first place. Please bring them happiness throughout the days as they witness first-hand the milestones in learning that they help their class reach. Keep their passion for teaching ignited all year round. Give them applause as they celebrate the wins and grace as they work through challenges.
Lord, please be with all of the staff at the school – from principal to secretary to librarian to counselor to bus driver to janitor to cafeteria worker and everyone in between. Help them to know the value they bring by being a part of the complete team that these kids walk into every single day. Help them to realize their worth at the school and know that each and every day that they show up and pour into these kids is appreciated.
God, I pray for the safety of these kids all year long. Please, Lord, help protect these babies from any outside harm. Sometimes, it is so scary to let my babies go out into this world where bad things seem to happen way too often. Remind me, Father God, that You got this – You are there – and You will protect them every single day.
Thank you, Lord, for another new beginning – a fresh start for these kids. Thank you for packed bookbags, glue sticks, markers and lunchboxes. Thank you for providing everything needed for another school year. And thank you, Lord, for giving me a front row seat at watching these kids that I love so much learn and grow all year through.
Amen.
Sarah (Pitson) Shrader was born and raised in Lima. She is a Lima Central Catholic and Tiffin University graduate. Sarah is a full-time working mama who enjoys writing about her somewhat crazy, always adventurous life as a mom and bonus mom. She lives in Bath Township with her husband, Lee Parsons, and their seven kids.
