Just a few years ago back to school signalled the start of fall. Summer ended with Labor Day weekend and school was back in session the following Tuesday. Temps, though still quite warm in the daytime, began to moderate with cooler evenings. Back to school clothes shopping included jeans and jackets...never shorts.
Slowly our school schedules changed and now we send our children back to the classroom in early August. Temperatures are sweltering and I would guess that most kids plus their parents are nowhere close to being ready for the summer to be over. (Now would be the time for me to step up onto my soapbox and launch into my 'speech' about the misguided folks who come up with the current school calendar and our education system's shortcomings but that would change nothing and is not the direction of this post.)
Regardless of our opinions of when the school year should start, the fact remains - Tuesday our kids will be back at school for a new year. Tomorrow at both morning services, we will honor our teachers and other educators and pray for our children, parents, and teachers as they each face the coming year. For some it will be the first time in the classroom. Others will find themselves in a new school, perhaps in a new town. Some will simply move up a grade with their friends with a new teacher but in familiar surroundings. All need our prayers and support.
My 'kids' graduated long ago and now have children of their own. My grandchildren range from baby to high school senior. I see the challenges facing them from a different perspective than the one I held when my own children were in school. However,one thing is a constant - our community children need our prayers. Their parents need our prayers and their teachers need our prayers. They need our support.
I will pray tomorrow morning along with others gathered at church. May it not be just a one time, one day prayer. May we all make it a priority to daily petition our Heavenly Father on behalf of the precious children in our community, their parents, and the teachers who strive to love and educate them.
Hugs,
Molly
Molly,
ReplyDeletePlease pray for my little grandson, Jacob. He was recently diagnosed with Aspberger's (not sure I spelled that correctly), which is on the low end of the scale of Autism. It makes school a great challenge for him, despite the fact that he is very smart. I guess it's more like ADHD, where it's difficult to focus for very long. Anyway, he and his parents need much prayer as they work through this with teachers/administrators, etc. I know God will use him in a great way, because he's such a loving, sweet child.
Thanks! Pat