If You Left Part of Your Heart at a Campus Recently, This Is For You

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So this time hop picture popped up on Facebook page on Friday. Sniff. Sniff. Tissues please.

Although this photo was a year ago, it could have been yesterday, since I just dropped off this same middle child at college for her sophomore year last week. Different year, same exact story. Same empty room staring at me each time I walk by.  And then on the other side of the hall, the empty bedroom of my oldest daughter calls out to me. The one who just started her Senior year at college and is living in an apartment not too far from home.

How I miss their sleepy bed heads bopping down the stairs each morning, and just knowing that sometime later in the day or evening, they would be coming home to crawl back into those safe, cozy beds.  My handsome son is a Junior in high school this year – so two summers from now, I hate to even think of the craziness and emotions that will be overtaking my heart and mind. Bless my boy’s heart, in advance. Have mercy on us all.

Growing up is hard. Not just for kids. But for moms too.  When our kids enter new seasons of life, so do we. And we have to learn to grow up again, kind of, in a different role that’s harder than we’ve ever known.

So for all you moms who recently sent your little-ones-turned-big-ones to college, boarding school, military school, middle school, or any other scary new season of life, I wanted to share with you a timely devotion I read recently in my Jesus Calling daily devotion book. Oh, how I needed to hear this little piece of comfort last week, and I bet some of you might need some comfort as well. Bless your mama’s hearts right now.

We can’t always be there for our kids, to protect, guide, reprimand, redirect, soothe or fix. But God can. And that’s what gets me through.  Trusting Him with our most precious commodities not only frees us to fix our eyes on Him, but opens the door for Him to shower them with blessings and protection. And no matter how old kids get, they will always need their moms.

Jesus Calling by Sarah Young, for August 23rd

Entrust your loves ones to Me; release them into My protective care.  They are much safer with Me than in your clinging hands. If you let a loved one become an idol in your heart, you endanger that one – as well as yourself.  Joseph and his father, Jacob, suffered terribly because Jacob loved Joseph more than any of his other sons and treated him with special favor. So Joseph’s brothers hated him and plotted against him. Ultimately, I used that situation for good, but both father and son had to endure years of suffering and separation from one another. 

I detest idolatry, even in the form of parental love, so beware of making a beloved child your idol.  When you release loved ones to Me, you are free to cling to My hand. As you entrust others into My care, I am free to shower blessings on them. My Presence will go with them wherever they go, and I will give them rest. This same Presence stays with you as you relax and place your trust in Me. Watch to see what I will do. 

-Ephesians 3:20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,

-Exodus 33:14 The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”

-Genesis 37:3-4 Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age; and he made an ornate robe for him. When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him.

6 Comments

  1. Laura Murphy on Monday, August 24, 2015 at 9:35 am

    I so needed this. But for a different situation with my oldest (prodigal) daughter. Thank you.



  2. Judy Turnbull on Monday, August 24, 2015 at 10:00 am

    I’m sending my middle daughter off to college next week, so I’m right there! It includes a bunch of mixed emotions of feeling sad because it is a new stage in our home of some loss, and feeling excited for her as this is her freshman year at a Christian college where she will grow and have fun and learn so much! Depending on God, trusting him and seeking his comfort is what I continue to need to be doing!



  3. Michelle on Monday, August 24, 2015 at 11:16 am

    Oh my…how I needed to hear this this morning! My youngest daughter recently left for college just 2 weeks ago and I have really been struggling with my new role in her life. It has been such a struggle for me for the past few years because after my divorce, she chose to stay with her Dad and I have only seen her sporadically over the past few years. This tears my heart apart because I so desperately want to be in her life more and now that she is on her own, I thought that I would have more time with her. I know…it’s only been a couple of weeks!! 🙂 What really struck a cord in my heart through this post is that we do sometimes make idols of our children and I now see how I have been idolizing her and acting like a desperate, crazy woman trying to force my way in to her life and try to win back the affection that I feel like I have lost from her. Thank God that He is so timely and that he gently reminds us that our “precious commodities” are much safer in His hands!

    Thank you Tracie for sharing!



  4. Megan on Monday, August 24, 2015 at 1:24 pm

    Thank you for sharing this! It really helped bring peace to this weepy mama who dropped off her oldest at kindergarten this morning! I cringe to think of how hormonal I’ll be when he goes to college!



  5. Pam on Monday, August 24, 2015 at 3:36 pm

    I really needed to read this! My 14 yr. old son left for 9th grade today @ our church’s academy….after always being home with me to be homeschooled. I’m letting go….but, it’s hard. He just sent me a text telling me he “luvs me” and “he missed me today”…….God is sooo good….



  6. Tammy on Monday, August 24, 2015 at 9:55 pm

    So needed this today. Sent my twin sons today, we are all adjusting to this new step in the journey change is hard for me and yet I j now God will see us all through this with His love.



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Tracie Miles is a bestselling author and the Director of COMPEL Training with Proverbs 31 Ministries.  She helps women grow stronger in their faith, pursue the life of purpose God designed them for and live a life of peace, joy and happiness despite their circumstances.

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