As a parent, the start of school feels like the end of a marathon: a summer full of travel, camps, playdates, and free time. When I drop my children off for the first day of school, I take a deep breath and my body relaxes as the routine starts up again. I am a creature of habit, and the flexibility of summer sometimes feels like an ill-fitting garment.
The start of school is also the beginning of the run for me as a children’s minister. The days of lighter attendance and no weekday events fade into the distance as the semester picks up. I find myself fielding questions about chapel times, nursery protocols, curriculum choices (love opening those new zines!), and plans for family activities. I consider backup room choices in case the leak in the roof is not fixed. In short, I prepare for the busyness and routine of fall.
Maybe you love the beginning of things: the fresh new school supplies, the clean Sunday school rooms, and the excitement of kids and volunteers as they reunite. Or maybe you dread the start of the year: the unknowns and what-ifs swirling in your brain, reacclimating to the rhythms of your routines, and the introductions and anxieties of new relationships.
Here’s the good news—whether you miss summer or love fall, God’s love for his children, including you, never fails. As Lamentations 3:22-24 reminds us:
“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. ‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul,‘therefore I will hope in Him.”
Part of our summer was spent near the beach. I won’t lie, I am more of a river person, but as I watched the waves relentlessly washing the shore, I was reminded that God’s love is not based on whether our routine is in place or we’ve got all (or none) of the answers. God’s love continually washes over us without ceasing, at all times and seasons.
As our kiddos return to their academic classrooms, they meet new friends, learn new facts, and navigate unpredictable changes. Parents are filling out forms, getting all the necessary supplies, packing lunches, helping their kids with big emotions, and probably feeling some big feelings themselves. Our job is to remind families that God is always with them and that his love is steadfast. As they face a world of requirements and checklists, we get to remind them that God is always for them and redeeming them.
Don’t let the new supplies and programs distract you from the story that God is writing in our lives. The waves of love keep coming, and we can rest in the fact that God’s grace is new every morning, and our hope is found in Him.
