First Days
Today’s devotion is written by Diane from Partners in Prayer for our Prodigals. If you have never visited Diane I encourage you to stop by her blog today after reading her devotion…
The quiet of this morning is deafening. It should come as no surprise, for September always brings the first day of school. Still, with my husband off to work, and our last child off to his first day of 11th grade, my ears nearly burst from the noise in my head and I have been immobilized by the paralysis of my thoughts.
First days. The first day you send your first child to Kindergarten, the first day of your new job, the first day of married life; first days have a tendency to fill our minds to overflowing with memories and hope for the future.
The old adage, “this is the first day of the rest of your life” should really come with Psalm 118:24 in the tag line: “This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” As believers, we have the absolute truth that no matter our first days, it has been made just for us and written in His book (Psalm 139: 16). I don’t know about you, but for me, God’s certain presence always breaks the bonds of any anxiety -induced-paralysis!
Yes, my youngest child is now taller than me and attending his first day of the last two years he will live at home. Isn’t it amazing that no matter how grown up he gets, no matter how many inches taller than Mom he becomes, no matter how deep his voice resonates—he remains my baby forever? His physical stature has outgrown his mother’s lap, but her love will not be diminished by size or circumstance. Our children will never outgrow the love of their Mom!
Sound a lot like God’s love? One of my favorite Bible verses is Ephesians 3: 17b-18: “And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.” No matter the day in our lives, His love is boundless—we can never outgrow or hide from His love.
So let the silence roar! It is filled with memories of days gone by and hope for the future. Hope for a great school year, a fulfilling career, a fabulous marriage; whatever the first day, God loves us. That, my friends, is reason enough to “Rejoice and be glad!”
May our children’s first steps out the door each day be as blessed as their first baby steps! May we be faithful; may they always know each step that they take is covered in prayer to the One who has each day of their life “written in His book.” May we be reminded that our Heavenly Father loves us and has a divine purpose for each day of our lives.
I would love to hear what God has prepared for you…this first day. Is it a day “rooted and established in love?” Step boldly into this day; walk with the confidence we have in Christ! Throw off the chains of anxiety, uncertainty, and doubt; we can know, yes, we know! “This IS the day the LORD has made!”
Diane
Amen to that, Diane. It has taken me almost a year to get used to our son being all grown up…Yesterday morning I woke up differently. I know that the Lord is taken care of my ‘baby’. Our son is in good hands…Yes, ‘This is the day the Lord has made…’
Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts with the readers of Laced with Grace…
Be blessed today and always.
God must want me to remember this verse today! I used the song “Today is the day” in my Friday Favorites.
Thank you for sharing. It is comforting to know the Lord is with us.
I needed to hear this today. I have been struggling with enjoying this day wiith my two small children at home. Looking forward to the next year knowing that ONE will be in Kindergarten, or the next year when they will both be in school all day. I know I will miss these days, but just because I know it in my heart, doesn’t mean I am making the most of today. Thanks for the post.
Hi Diane,
Girl, It IS a day “rooted and established in love.” Amen.
Wonderful thoughts, beautifully written – as usual! DC and I are working at remembering that no matter what happens, or how difficult our circumstances, He is in control – and He made the day.
I don’t feel like we had any “first days” this year. One thing just led to another in a long sequence of events. Then again, I homeschool and we didn’t take a summer break!
Nonetheless, God has been speaking to my heart, clling me to be more aware of His presence in our lives, more sure of His control – even in some situations where I had “given up”.
His love is real and His timing is impeccable!
Hey Girl….that was a great post!
Thank you for this wonderful reminder.