Free shipping on all orders over $75🎄

Today, it happened. I dropped my son off at the local elementary school for his first day of preschool. The popular question around my social media sites was “When did he get so big?”  I shake my head wondering the same thing.

So many things were on my mind and rumbling in my heart that I tossed and turned last night after an already long weekend. So, I had to combat everything in my head, turn my heart to the truth of God’s Word, and enjoy the moment with our sweet preschooler.

One of the first thoughts that entered my head week’s ago when we knew this schooling thing might become a reality was guilt. I’m sure every mom in the world knows what I’m talking about. Why are you sending your son to preschool? Why can’t you keep him at home and teach him yourself? Why do you need time to yourself? Why haven’t you taught him enough that he isn’t behind?

Another thought in my heart was fear of man. What will his teacher think of him? Will he be cute enough or well-disciplined enough? Will they see through my “I’m a great mom with it all together” facade? Will they think I don’t know how to parent at all? Will they wonder why he is so delayed and blame it all on me and my lack of parenting skills?

One more thought was fear for my son’s life. With so much going on in our country with school shootings, here I was sending my three year old away from me into a school setting for 4 hours each day. I wasn’t going to be there to protect him if he fell and skinned his knee, was intimidated by the other students, or if something happened that put the school in danger. And also his emotional life.

The last experience was tears of both joy and sadness. As we were holding hands walking into the school, we were singing the “let’s go to preschool” song – a totally made up jingle. I couldn’t sing it by the time we got to the sidewalk because I was choking back tears. And as I sat in my car after dropping him off, I felt the weight of emptiness. Here I was sitting in a car that could hold 7 and it was only me. Granted we only have two children, but now I had an empty car seat.

So, how did I make it through the last couple of weeks and how did I survive the morning?

Here is the truth that I preached to myself (and had sweet, amazing, gospel-centered friends around me to preach the gospel to me too):

  1. Sending your children to preschool should bring no guilt with it. God gave my husband and I wisdom to know what to do in regards to our son’s education. We want him to get the help that he needs and this is the avenue we’ve been given. Schooling is a personal choice that each parent needs to make. It is not a biblical mandate to either homeschool or send to preschool or not. God gives each wisdom when we ask for it. He will instruct us. James 1:5 says that He will give it to us graciously if we are lacking and ask. And if we are in Christ – we can’t face condemnation from God. We are completely made whole in Christ! We need to rest in that!
  2. Fear of man is one of the hardest battles I face on a daily basis. Proverbs 29:25 says the danger of living in the fear of man. It proves that our help is trusting in the Lord. Man can do nothing to me. All that matters is that I’m obedient to Christ, that I raise my children in the fear and trust of the Lord, and that my mister and I are on the same page. We are both walking with the Lord, trusting in Him as we tackle this parenting thing together, are far from perfect at it, seek help when we need it, and are growing in our wisdom.
  3. Working in the area of family ministry, I am familiar with the term helicopter parenting. Those parents who over-watch their kids and spend their days hovering over them to make sure they see everything they do. One of the reasons for helicopter parenting is fear: fear that if they take their eyes off their children for just one second something will happen. I am not the sovereign over my child’s life. I do not write his story. I didn’t even know the day that he was going to be born, and I certainly don’t know the day that he will leave this earth. One of the verses that has been most helpful in our lives right now is found in Acts 17:24-27 – how God made everything, is in control of everything, and He is the one who writes our stories. God is a perfect story-writer. This is such a comfort to me.
  4. Joy and sadness are so common in parenting. We are excited and joyful when our children are born, when they take their first steps, when they (hopefully) accept Christ as their Savior, when they walk down the aisle to their lifelong mate. There is sadness when they get hurt, when they disobey (sometimes repeatedly), when they make unwise decisions, when (sometimes) they reject Christ, when they walk in sin. Due to the sin in this world, sadness is a given in parenting. I once read something that said the pain in childbearing doesn’t end in childbirth, but mothers often feel pain in raising their children. Joy is found in the Lord and we can believe Psalm 86:11 knowing that God is both a sun and shield for our children.

Let us rejoice, as Christian mommas, that even though each new adventure and season that we embark on with our children is hard, it is also part of the journey that God has written. It is good story for His glory – and He has promised to walk ahead of us, leading us as a Gentle Shepherd.

So God Made a Mother book by Leslie Means

If you liked this, you'll love our new book, SO GOD MADE A MOTHER available now!

Order Now

Kimberly Campbell

Kimberly Campbell is a wife of one, mother to two energetic toddler boys, and a creative. She currently lives in the Atlanta area with her family. A lover of the South and all its charm, she loves to travel, do photography, write, cook, and stay fit so she can go down slides and run with her boys. Being a creative in all things, she loves to display the gospel in her home, friendships, and in her creative outlets. She blogs regularly over at http://kd316.com/

Your Husband Needs Friendship Too

In: Faith, Friendship, Marriage
3 men smiling outside

As the clock inches closer to 7:00 on a Monday evening, I pull out whatever dessert I had prepared that week and set it out on the kitchen counter. This particular week it’s a trifle, but other weeks it may be brownies, pound cake, or cookies of some kind. My eyes do one last sweep to make sure there isn’t a tripping hazard disguised as a dog toy on the floor and that the leftover dinner is put away. Then, my kids and I make ourselves scarce. Sometimes that involves library runs or gym visits, but it mostly looks like...

Keep Reading

This Is Why Moms Ask for Experience Gifts

In: Faith, Living, Motherhood
Mother and young daughter under Christmas lights wearing red sweaters

When a mama asks for experience gifts for her kids for Christmas, please don’t take it as she’s ungrateful or a Scrooge. She appreciates the love her children get, she really does. But she’s tired. She’s tired of the endless number of toys that sit in the bottom of a toy bin and never see the light of day. She’s tired of tripping over the hundreds of LEGOs and reminding her son to pick them up so the baby doesn’t find them and choke. She’s tired of having four Elsa dolls (we have baby Elsa, Barbie Elsa, a mini Elsa,...

Keep Reading

When You Just Don’t Feel Like Christmas

In: Faith, Living
Woman sad looking out a winter window

It’s hard to admit, but some years I have to force myself to decorate for Christmas. Some years the lights look a little dimmer. The garlands feel a bit heavier. And the circumstances of life just aren’t wrapped in a big red bow like I so wish they were. Then comparison creeps in like a fake Facebook friend and I just feel like hiding under the covers and skipping it all. Because I know there’s no way to measure up to the perfect life “out there.” And it all just feels heavier than it used to. Though I feel alone,...

Keep Reading

When Your Kids Ask, “Where Is God?”

In: Faith, Kids
Child looking at sunset

How do I know if the voice I’m hearing is God’s voice? When I was in high school, I found myself asking this question. My dad was a pastor, and I was feeling called to ministry. I didn’t know if I was just hearing my dad’s wish or the call of God. I was worried I was confusing the two. It turns out, I did know. I knew because I was raised to recognize the presence of God all around me. Once I knew what God’s presence felt like, I also knew what God’s voice sounded like. There is a...

Keep Reading

To the Woman Longing to Become a Mother

In: Faith, Grief, Motherhood
Woman looking at pregnancy test with hand on her head and sad expression

To the woman who is struggling with infertility. To the woman who is staring at another pregnancy test with your flashlight or holding it up in the light, praying so hard that there will be even the faintest line. To the woman whose period showed up right on time. To the woman who is just ready to quit. I don’t know the details of your story. I don’t know what doctors have told you. I don’t know how long you have been trying. I don’t know how many tears you have shed. I don’t know if you have lost a...

Keep Reading

I Was There to Walk My Mother to Heaven

In: Faith, Grief, Loss
Hand holding older woman's hand

I prayed to see my momma die. Please don’t click away yet or judge me harshly after five seconds. I prayed to see, to experience, to be in the room, to be a part of every last millisecond of my momma’s final days, final hours, and final moments here on Earth. You see, as a wife of a military man, I have always lived away from my family. I have missed many birthdays, celebrations, dinners, and important things. But my heart couldn’t miss this important moment. I live 12 hours away from the room in the house where my momma...

Keep Reading

God Sent Me to You

In: Faith, Motherhood
Newborn gazing at mother with father smiling down

I was a little unsure As I left God’s warm embrace: What will it be like? What challenges will I face? There were so many questions Running through my mind. I asked around for the answers I was hoping to find. Who will hold me And cuddle me tight? Who will rock me To sleep at night? RELATED: The Newborn Nights Feel As Endless As My Love For You Who will comfort me When I’ve had a rough day? Who will be there To take my worries away? Who will nourish me And make sure I grow? Who will read...

Keep Reading

Addiction Doesn’t Get the Final Say Over My Son

In: Faith, Motherhood
Woman praying with head bowed

She is so tired. It is a kind of tired that no amount of sleep or rest can alleviate. It is a kind of tired that surpasses physical and even mental fatigue. It is a tiredness of soul—a tiredness that comes from wondering, and grieving, and not knowing how to save her son from the drugs the enemy has bound him up in. She kneels alone on the floor in her bedroom closet. This is where she came when the fear and the uncertainty and the panic started to creep into her heart again. She came here to pray, though...

Keep Reading

I Want to Be a Praying Mama

In: Faith, Motherhood
Dirt road at dusk

I want to be that praying mama. The one who stops on the side of the road when the time seems fit, just to take those few short, undistracted moments to lift my kids up to God. I want to be that praying mama. The one who prays while she drives down the road to schools and lifts each one up as they exit the car for the start of their day. RELATED: Praying For Your Kids is Holy Work of Motherhood I want to be that praying mama. The one who does it so much that the youngest doesn’t...

Keep Reading

Blessed Are Those Who Can’t Even

In: Faith, Living
Woman rubbing temples with hands, color photo

We argued about an orange last night after dinner. Not even a large orange. A tiny mandarin. As emotions escalated between my beloved husband and me, the eldest child graciously removed herself from the table and donned noise-canceling headphones while the smallest child openly snickered and was dispatched to her room to play while we hashed things out in “peace.” I’d love to say that was the most insane thing we’ve ever argued about, but that would be a lie. My kids love to remind us about the breadstick incident a few years back. Life has been a bit overwhelming...

Keep Reading