Back To School Madness

It seems like every year there are so many details, items, and supplies needed that sending kids back to school is just stressful anymore.

Maybe it always was, but I don’t remember it being such an ordeal when my daughter was younger. And don’t even get me started on the crazy school supply lists we are given nowadays. I think I bought enough to supply a small army just for my granddaughter to start first grade!

Parents and grandparents are out here just wanting to give their best to their children, and sometimes it feels like the world and society just keep making things more difficult.

So today, I would like to say a prayer over all of you parents and grandparents out there doing your best to love, protect, and provide for your babies.

Dear Heavenly Father,

I come to You today with a heavy heart for the families who are struggling.

Lord, You know how hard it has become for so many parents and grandparents to make ends meet with the price of everything being so incredibly high. They work all day, come home and work some more, and somehow try to squeeze in a little time to enjoy the families they dearly love.

Father, make a way for each and every family.

Provide the extra income when the numbers just don’t seem to add up. Give them extra energy when they are exhausted, extra patience when everyone is overwhelmed, and an abundance of love and grace as they settle into another school year.

Be with the families trying to fit new school schedules into lives that were already full. Be especially close to the moms, dads, and grandparents sending a little one off to school for the very first time. Calm their worried hearts and remind them that their babies are never outside of Your sight or Your care.

Lord, please place Your protection over every child as they walk through those school doors.

Protect them physically, mentally, and emotionally. Give them kind teachers, good friends, and people who will encourage them instead of tear them down. Give them courage when they feel nervous, confidence when they feel unsure, and kindness toward the child who may be struggling to find where they belong.

Bless the teachers, bus drivers, cafeteria workers, aides, office staff, custodians, coaches, and every person who will have a hand in caring for our children this year. Give them patience, wisdom, compassion, and strength for the days ahead.

And Father, remind the parents and grandparents who are worried they aren’t doing enough that their children don’t need perfection.

They need love.

They need someone cheering them on.

They need a safe place to come home to.

They need someone who keeps showing up.

Help us remember that sometimes the things our children will remember most aren’t the perfect backpacks, the new shoes, or whether we bought every single thing on that mile-long supply list.

They’ll remember how home felt.

So Lord, help us make it feel safe, loved, peaceful, and full of grace.

Watch over all of our babies this school year, whether they’re walking into kindergarten, first grade, high school, or college. Guide their steps, guard their hearts, and bring them safely home to us each day.

And when the back-to-school madness feels like too much, remind us that we don’t have to carry all of it alone.

We’ve got You.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

To every parent and grandparent doing their best right now — I see you. We’re all figuring it out as we go, loving these babies the best way we know how.

And apparently buying 47 glue sticks along the way.