What I've Learned Lately

We drove to West Chester to help our daughter move out of the apartment she left one and a half months ago.

I started thinking about how when we helped her move in to her campus apartment, I had placed my hope in the college and town.

She would study hard, succeed in her classes, in this new chapter of her life.

I had placed my hope in a place, a situation.

Then she flunked out of her third semester there. Moved to a different apartment. Worked long hours for little pay. Quit the job and moved back to our area leaving a lot of her "non-essential items" behind.

It was time to load them up.

While her life has been changing, I realized that this was her present, not her entire future.

She is living out a portion of her life and from my parental perspective (although difficult to watch) I love her, pray for her, and am here when she needs me.

I take comfort that God is with her too.

He is a loving Father who knows what is best for her.

He knows her past, present, and future.

I have learned that life is sometimes messy.

I have learned to not place my hope in a place or situation.

I have learned to place my hope in the Lord,
He is here and through His discipline and love,
all will be well.

And I have learned that living life with our daughter will never be boring.

(The next day she came and with help from her boyfriend and her wonderful dad stored all the non-essentials in the basement.)

A happy ending to the move.

(Thank you Daughter for giving me permission to publish this post.)