Doesn’t Jesus Make All The Difference? Part II

…Recently, my little girl had a challenge I truly wanted her to avoid. It was unfair, quite frankly, and in a perfect world it wouldn’t have gone down that way. We were initially told she was registered for first grade, only to be told last minute her birthday fell just outside of the state deadline for first grade. They also wouldn’t let her test out of Kindergarten (which we homeschooled last year) before school started as they let my middle child do for 4th grade. She’d have to start in Kindergarten and try to “test out” of it within the first two weeks of school.

Worse still, she didn’t hear about the news from me. She heard about it in the middle of the school office waiting area, along with everyone else, as she overheard the school counselor inform me. I was furious, it was handled so unprofessionally. I looked over to see tears silently stream down her face.

Let me tell you what it took to prepare her for public school.  My sensitive little girl has always stuck to me like glue. She’s been that way from day one. As much as she thrives in group settings she dreads the thought of being away from me, so it took all summer to prepare her for the concept. And we prepared for 1^st grade. We shopped for supplies and she was finally excited, only to have her first interaction with public school be a punch in the gut.

She cried and I cried. We talked and prayed and talked some more. I told her no matter how she does on that test, she’s the brightest kid I know and I’m proud of what we learned in our school. And yes, I meant every word!  More than that, Jesus is so very pleased with her, He’s on her side and if she depended on Him, He would help her pass the test and go on to first grade. That’s a lot for a 5-year-old to hang her hat on, but such is the faith of a little child. When tested, it springs forth and you get to see why Jesus said it’s the kind we all should have. The next morning she started confessing that Jesus is greater than that test and He WILL help her. Brought me to tears! I thought this was too much for her, but it gave a passion to her faith and prayer life that blew me away.  She started Kindergarten again with a great attitude, confident that when test time came, everything would work out!

I will always want to shield her; it’s my inclination as a mother, though a non-reality. This world is fallen and groaning all the more as it inflicts its sorrow on us. But Jesus…is greater and has overcome the world. He makes all the difference between being crushed by life and reigning in it (Romans 5: 17-21). No better time than the present for my kids to experience Jesus and be transformed!

By the way, my daughter did well on the test and has been in first grade about a week!  She’s LOVING it and thriving; go Jesus!