940 Saturdays

There are only 940 Saturdays between your child’s birth and his or her leaving for college.  That’s the little statistic that popped up on my social media feed a week before I was taking my twin boys to college.  Needless to say it caught my attention.  How could 940 of anything go so fast?  940 isn’t enough!

My boys’ senior year of high school was an emotional and busy time, as it is for most parents of kids graduating.  It was filled with applications, acceptances, denials, and lots of decisions. Somewhere between graduation pictures being taken in August and actual graduation in June I blinked and senior year was over.   My babies were off to college, two different colleges!  Mommas of twins can appreciate the extra heartache of their going to separate schools.

I read books and endless articles on how to prepare for the transition that was rushing toward me, them, my husband and their sister; who would now be the only child home (poor girl).  I wanted to be prepared; if I were prepared maybe it wouldn’t hurt as much to say good bye.  The weeks leading up to the boys’ leaving, I became hyper focused– my husband would say obsessed– with making sure the boys had everything they needed.  This included the normal things like sheets and towels to the minutia like  pencil sharpeners.  I also felt a need to make sure I covered every life lesson. You know, like, don’t walk alone at night, wear your flip flops in the shower, and nothing good happens after 12 am.  I wanted to make sure I addressed any and every situation.  I worried, I prayed.  I prayed for God to show me what the important things were, what words of wisdom to make sure I gave the boys before they left. I was afraid I’d forget to tell them something and then something bad would happen to them. It was not pretty.

One of my go-to verses is Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”  It’s a verse I’ve read and prayed on so many times in my life as one who is prone to worry and anxiety, especially when it comes to my children.  It was helpful but this time a different verse brought more comfort:  Joshua 1:9 “.Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Not only was God with me but He was also with my boys.  He was going with them where I couldn’t; a fresh reminder that I can trust God not only wherever I am, but wherever my children go.

Leigh Ann is a blog contributor and board member at Study With Friends Ministries.  If you too struggle with worry you may be encouraged by listening to our Captive-Taking Control of Our Thought Life series.  Tune in on your favorite radio station, listen to our podcast on iTunes, or listen through TuneIn or Stitcher online radio.  You can also listen on our website.