Knowing what to do when it rains…

My daughter is entering 9^th Grade. Today is orientation. What just happened?

In honor of this momentous moment, I went back in the archives to ten years ago – her first day of Kindergarten and poked around a bit and found this deep cut. Enjoy:

“I don’t know if any of you parents out there worry that you are screwing up your kids royally, but I do. The responsibility freaks me out sometimes. Take this example from normal life: During dinner a couple nights ago, Dave Dave scoots from his chair (which he’s apt to do) and crawls underneath the table meowing. I mean, if he’s going to pretend to be an animal, why pick a cat?

“You know what I’m saying? Things like I’m pretty sure the boy is going to be wearing diapers into adulthood. Or that Anna Rose still sleeps with a light on. You know what I mean? Maybe you don’t. But every once in awhile I get to worrying that I’m not raising these kids right.

“But there we are this afternoon, and it starts thundering outside, and I hear Anna Rose cry, ‘Let’s put on our bathing suits and jump in puddles!’ And Dave starts chanting: ‘Puddles! Puddles!’ And quick as lightning there we are in the rain, splashing around, and I’m thinking to myself, Self, you might not be getting everything right, but they at least know what to do when it’s pouring rain outside.”

My kids still know what to do.

Anna Rose. I do pray for sunshine in your life. But when the storms come, as they are apt to do, I pray that you learn to trust the Son and keep on dancing.