By Kirsty Gilpin
June 15, 2008
Back to school sales evoke a certain nostalgia for new notebooks, the perfect pens, the right organization system and find out what my schedule for the year would be.
However, my anxiety about my first day of school outfit really masked a much deeper concern. Would I fit in? Would my friends still accept me? Would my friends be in my classes? Would my teachers like me? Students today face the same pressure – whether they are starting kindergarten or their senior year.
As parents we can ease some of these fears by ensuring that our children know that they are loved unconditionally at home. This relationship of unconditional love is built over time and must be continually nurtured.
As summer vacation winds down, take time to listen to your child and ask them how you can pray for them.
Make time with your child to search for Bible verses that they can remember and cling to especially at those times when they may be feeling anxious. When you share some of your own favorite Bible verses it not only deepens your relationship, but it also reinforces in your child that we all need to rely on Christ rather than just on our own abilities.
Some great verses to start with are Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and Romans 8:28.
Nothing you do for your child is more important or more powerful than praying for them. Ephesians 6:18 says to pray at all times. So make it a priority to pray over each detail of your child’s life – from their studies to their friends to their faith.
Trust them to the Lord and our own interactions with them.
As you pray for your children, take a moment to remember those children who don’t have parents praying for them. Please pray for those children in the care of the Florida Baptist Children’s Homes as they return to school.
Review
1. Talk to your child about their concerns with the new school year
2. Give them Bible verses they can lean on when they are feeling anxious
3. Pray for your child — their studies, their friends, and their faith
4. Pray for the children in the care of the Florida Baptist Children’s Homes
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Kirsty Gilpin lives in Lakeland home-schools their two young children.