New Year Same Promises

The new school year just now kicked off today yet I have already found myself incredibly busy!!! Mark has had summer band for the first three weeks of August. Eight AM to Four PM every day. Even in college our summer band was only one week. So the fact that he is giving up so much of his time shows true dedication, I guess. Although, I know Mark, and if he's giving up so much time for something it is only because he completely loves it.

But today is a first for all of them. Noah will be in the third grade, not in a new school, but by himself for the first time. Will he be able to find an identity outside of "little brother". Will he feel safe all alone?

Today is the first day of High School for Mark. And while it is scary and Mark did admit to being a little nervous I am completely at ease with him starting a new school. Middle school was not kind to him. But he has discovered so many talents and interests within himself that I know he is starting High School with "a place". But the growing need he has for independence does scare me.

And Matthew is starting middle school. He's growing so fast. But I am not NEARLY as nervous for Matthew socially as I was Mark. He tends to be a bit more comfortable in his own skin than Mark was at this age. Academically though, I am even more worried. He's over come so much in his little 11 years. But this year the curriculum changes--CSCOPE. I know nothing about it, he knows nothing about it. We know NOTHING. But our Father does.

We went on line the day before his open house this past Friday. We saw his schedule and he had all of the electives he wanted. Art, Theater Art, and Band. He was ready to start middle school. But then, we went to open house. The schedule had been changed. He was removed from Art and placed in Study Hall. When we asked the counselor why she explained that Study Hall would allow him to be serviced for his dyslexia a couple of times a week. I looked over at Matthew and saw his spirits sink. He said a polite, "yes Ma'am" but his heart was breaking and the tears were on the cusp of pouring out of his little soul. So I asked him to wait outside the office for a minute. And he obeyed. I explained to the counselor that he has had to give up so much to work twice as hard because of his learning differences. That he has always put his head down and pushed forward no matter how high the mountain. That he was really looking forward to middle school because he got to pick things to do that he enjoyed in between the "hard stuff".

She listened with a complete sympathetic ear. Then said, "Let me see what we can do." Before we even finished walking through all of his classes the counselor called my cell phone. We walked back to the office where she was waiting to tell us that the principal REFUSED to keep Matthew from taking the classes he had a passion for. So she would allow him to work on brainware whenever he wanted. Before school or after school--possibly even at home.

We were so grateful to the administrators for seeing the wishes of a little boy and working to give them to him. But for me, it was a reminder that my Father who loves Matthew even more than I do is always going to be there for him. God knows the desires of Matthew's heart. And I know He knows Matthew loves Him. It pours out of Matthew when he speaks, when he helps, when he is silent. It was a lesson for me. That God LONGS to bless us, to work out everything for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purposes. (Romans 8:28) The day Matthew was born he was called.

So, even though my tummy flips at the thought of Matthew's course load this year, Mark's growing independence, and Noah's forced independence, I am comforted by the reminder that they belong to God. And HE has it all under control--for each one of my boys.