It was the third week of September before I began to recover emotionally from the experience of dropping my first child off at college. Not everyone has the same reaction, but I had been moping around teary-eyed, missing my son for weeks, until God intervened.
That morning in September, I sat at the table and turned my heart belatedly to my Father in heaven. “Lord,” I said, “I can’t seem to pull myself together. I’ve got other kids to care for and lots of obligations. When will this sadness end? Help me!” After some time, I dried my tears and got up to go get the newspaper.
Back at the same kitchen table, I was amazed to see that the Washington Post had run a front-page article in the Style section entitled, “This Man Who Just Left Me; My Son Heads to College, a Boy No More.” Here was another woman as sad as I was, missing her son. I was not alone. The feeling of accompaniment was overwhelmingly touching. God cared! I felt my Father’s presence in a new way, and the first inklings of a profound new peace began to creep into my heart.
When we hurt, it's good to know that God sees our pain. He sometimes soothes our hearts through the caring of others as well. That's what Praying College Moms is all about--women who gather informally to share their common experience, to care for each other, and to pray for their children.
Why not start a book-club-of-sorts this September? It's as easy as 1-2-3. Buy the book, invite some friends, read a chapter and discuss. I pray that the small community you form will be a blessing that supports you through all of the ups and downs of the college years.
If you don’t belong to a small group, you can invite Praying College Moms to pray for your child by name through the website, prayingcollegemoms.org. Grace will flow as they add their voices to yours on behalf of your child!
If you're missing your student like I did at first, Praying College Moms of Northern Virginia assembles 200-300 customized care packages every year for sons/daughters, friends, and a few charities. This is a care package with a spiritual bent, full of goodies your students will love. It's going to save you money, make your college student(s) and their friends very happy, and help you keep your sanity in this time of transition for you and your college student! If you're interested, order here.