By the time you read this it will have been almost two weeks since my wife and I took our eldest child to college and moved her into her dorm at FSU. It was an incredibly emotional day; I cried more that day then I have total in the last year. As we drove home so many fears for her went through my head. Would she be physically safe on campus? Would she make the right friends? Will COVID-19 sweep through the dorms? Will she continue to grow and strengthen her faith in Jesus and stay active in worship? Will she continue to root for the Gators like I raised her????
I’ve been thinking about my fears for my daughter in the context of our theme for this school year “No Fear” based on Isaiah 12:2: “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.” As parents we naturally view ourselves as our children’s “savior and protector”. We will do anything to defend them and keep them safe from harm. But as I continued the long drive home, I reminded myself that my daughter has only one Savior – and I’m not it. Jesus is her strength and her salvation and the conqueror of all our fears. God gave Rachel to me as a gift to watch over for a little while and help equip her for her future. As she begins this new journey on her own, I know God will watch over her and protect her path ahead. I have no doubt that because of my human weakness I will still at times be gripped by fears for her future (and yeah probably cry some more too). But I will not be overwhelmed or defined by that fear. Instead I will pray for Rachel every day as she embarks on this new chapter in her life with great confidence and trust in Jesus. Trust and faith in Him vanquishes fear!