Last summer, some friends of ours whose daughter was on the brink of starting kindergarten, recommended the book Going Public: Your Child Can Thrive in Public School on their blog. It is written by a Christian married couple, who successfully brought up their 8 children through the public school system, in one of the least-churched areas of the country. Since we knew the issue of Mason's education would be something that we, too, would be facing in the near future, we decided to invest in this book as well.
In one week, my firstborn, my precious son, will begin the journey of his formal education. We are very blessed to have a great neighborhood school that is only 7 doors down from our house, which will allow for many memorable "walks and talks" on the way to and from school. But I still can't help but feel tremendous anxiety about him leaving me during the day. Perhaps it's because he has been at home with me since the day he was born more than 5 1/2 years ago. Or maybe it's just sadness at the thought of my child growing up. They are so young for only a moment, and every milestone they reach brings much joy, but with it, some sadness as well. But over the past several weeks, I've come to the realization that there is much more to it than any of that. For me personally, I think it's also an issue of my control vs. God's will.
Having had Mason home with me for the past 5 years, I have known what he does every moment of the day. I know who he spends time with, I know what media he is exposed to, and I know that he is okay because he is with me at every point in the day. As mothers, one of our greatest God-given instincts is to protect our children and keep them safe. When they are young we keep them safe by teaching them to look for cars before crossing the street, and not to talk to strangers. And when they are older we keep them safe by giving them values and teaching them morals, self-control, and good decision-making skills. After all, God tells us, as parents, that we must teach our children His commandments:
"Teach [my words] to your children. Talk about them when you are at home, and when you walk along the road. Speak about them when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates." Deuteronomy 11: 19-20
But as I've prayed about my feelings and sought God's guidance in this area, I realized that God also commands that we are to be the salt and light of the world:
"Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven." Matthew 5:16
However I never found an instance in the Bible where God commands that I keep my children "safe". Wow. What a harsh reality for a protective mother like myself. He never tells me that I should keep Mason away from non-believers and potentially bad influences because they might, in fact, cause him to go astray. He never tells me that I should prevent him from being around children who are less fortunate or shelter him from society's moral meltdown, but instead, I am to teach him what is right and true, and then send him out into the world, prepared, wearing the full armor of God. I am constantly reminding myself of these truths. So next Monday I will walk my son to school with confidence, knowing that my God who parted the Red Sea for the Israelites, my God who gave young David victory over a giant, and my God who created the entire universe with His hand, will also be the same God who will walk beside Mason as he goes into school. Please join me in praying for our children who are about to start a new school year, and also for all the other Christian students and educators who enter the hallways of the public schools everyday--that their witness would be strong, that others who have never seen Jesus will see Him in them, and that their experiences with others would allow them to grow mighty in their faith!
For anyone who has, or will soon have, children in the public school system, or for anyone who is considering their child's educational options, I would highly encourage you to read this book. It has been a huge source of encouragement for us, and full of so many truths that are invaluable for parents today. My friend, Julie, has several great observations from this book that she posted on her blog last year. With her permission, I've added links to her Going Public posts. Her thoughts are worded so well, that my paraphrasing would not have done them justice. Thanks Julie!
