Giving Thanks
Today was the first day of school for my children. All the prep was finished late last night. First day clothes were selected and laid out. I made a quick run to the store for a couple of items that still needed to go in backpacks. The most important preparation of all was prayer. Just before bed we all gathered in our room. The kids and mom piled up on the bed. We took a few minutes to first take turns giving thanks for the summer. Everyone shared favorite memories with God and one another via a prayer.
Painting a Picture
Next, we shifted to praying for one another for the school year. We took turns. We prayed for good friends, good grades and good times. We lifted up new experiences and asked for the best. We prayed for protection and guidance. Through prayer we painted a picture of our hopes for the new year. Everyone prayed for everyone. We were very specific in our prayers. Our prayers reflected the unique nature of individual hopes and fears as we stand on the threshold of a new year. It was a great way to go into the year.
A Prayer Answered
Today, when I picked up my son and asked him how the day went, he felt it went very well. We were concerned about a conflict in his schedule. The available changes weren’t very appealing. He was really excited when he got in the car because he discovered that he misunderstood what one of the classes was and that he really liked it. He told me how cool the class was. I reminded him that the night before his mother had prayed that this problem would have some cool creative solution. A cool creative solution came that we never saw. We talked about how we should respond when prayers are answered. I encouraged him to give thanks for a quickly answered prayer. It was a mentoring moment in recognizing God at work. It was a mentoring moment in thinking about how we should respond.
If you have children that you can pray for and with about school. I highly encourage you to gather for a few minutes as a family to do it. We had never done this as a family at the beginning of the year. You can bet it will become a beloved tradition now.
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