Josh and Jon Then .................... Jon and Josh Now
How quickly time flies. The chill in the air this morning was a reminder that another school season is upon us. It hardly seems possible that nine years ago we sent Josh and Jon off to Kindergarten! And today they are officially high school juniors.
It's time for school to begin. It's time for Josh and Jon to be juniors. It's time for them to move into this new phase of life. And it's time for Sharon and me to move into this new phase with them.
As is our custom on the first day of school, I took Josh and Jon out for breakfast this morning. We are studying through Know What You Believe. But we also talked about the upcoming year and some of their goals. This year will involve college campus visits, learning new responsibilities and taking on new challenges in preparation for graduation.
And then I told them something that brought a lump to my throat and sadness to my heart. I uttered words that I knew had to be said, but had secretly hoped would never come. I told them that one of my jobs as their dad is to help prepare them to leave home. I told them that when the time came for them to leave that they would feel ready to go. And I told them to pray that their dad and mom would be ready too.
When people have asked me if I'm ready for fall, my response has been; "I'm ready for fall, I'm just not certain that I'm ready to be the father of two juniors." But I am looking forward to fall. I love the change of seasons. This is one of the reasons I love living in Iowa. I'm looking forward to the beautiful fall colors, crisp autumn air, Friday night football games, and marching band competitions.
And I'm also ready for a new season of life that is right around the corner for me. This new season comes with its own unique beauty and opportunities. Rather than grieve the loss of what I cannot hold on to forever, I choose to look forward to the future and to enjoy today. Its time. I'm ready for this new season of life to begin.
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven. He has made everything beautiful in its time. Ecclesiastes 3:1, 11a
1 comment:
I was happier than I looked in the picture on the right. Just tired, we did get up at 6.
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