Tonight, as the very last day of summer came to an end and we prepared for the first day of the new school year tomorrow, my brain typed up a blog post bragging about my back-to-school themed mom-victory.
Enter stage: I. Have. Arrived. People.
My eyes were so satisfied with the sight when I opened the fridge at the end of my work to see piles of perfectly portioned bags of fresh fruit, neatly rolled protein balls, straight rows of juice boxes, homemade pickle dip and cracker pouches and shredded chicken salad. Ladies, I’ve finally come up with a healthy, fool-proof, grab-and go breakfast and lunch menu. (Well, I mean…for one week.) It only took an entire day of shopping and prep! Woop woop-Mom of the Year! (+10 mom points)
As I neared the end of the day, my focus changed from my babies tummies to their hearts. So, in my effortless mom-ness, I quickly wrote out a first day of school lunch note to each kid on scrap paper and shoved it in their lunch boxes. (+10 mom points)
Enters reality: To be honest, I start every year with intentions to be SUPERMOM and by week 3, my kids walk out the door with a slice of bologna between 2 end pieces of the bread loaf because I didn’t make it to the grocery store… again. (I'm usually rushing behind them with unwashed hair.) BUT fail and fail and fail as I might, I will always be the annoying one to get back up and try an impossible task again. Impossible tasks like having a week of healthy breakfast and lunch items ready and at their fingertips. (A for effort?)
After the house got quiet tonight, the most important preparation came up. This one trumps all other prep work, moms (and dads). Prayer. Thankfully, prayer covers every area we miss it. It covers their food consumption (Mark 16:18), it guards their hearts, it guards their ears. It prepares their relationships, their brains to retain or reject information. As I prayed for my kids tonight, every care began to fall off of me. I may miss it, or fail, or fall off the wagon, but God never does! He loves my babies more than I do. They were His first! Tonight I spent extra time praying for each of my kids. I don't always do that every night, but all year long in the mornings, we do a pretty general prayer WITH the kids on the way to school, making sure they hear it.
Instead of a picture of my fridge, I’ll include that prayer below. I hope you’ll use it and build off of it! Prayer. Changes. Everything.
"Thank you for this day, Lord! Today is a day You have made! ______ is here for a special reason today! Lord, be with _____ as she go through her day today. Give her Your favor through her classmates and teachers. God, send angels all around her to protect her against any attack of the enemy. I thank You that no weapon formed against her will prosper in Jesus name. God, give _____ ears to hear all that she should be hearing today. Give her focus and attention. God, that she would be obedient to teachers and authority. Help her brain to soak up any information she should learn. But Lord, guard her heart and her eye gates and her ear gates from anything that rises up against Your Word. Lord, bring ______ good friends and good relationships and cut off any relationships that would hinder her. Help her to be a light to the people around her. And God, help her to recognize her gifts and talents, and to know who she is in YOU! To be confident and courageous and set apart in Jesus name. Amen!"
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