School Conference Tears

Photo Credit / / Abigail Niemann Photography

Our oldest, Peyton, had her first school conferences earlier this week, I didn't expect to feel nervous, but I guess it's hard to shake those "school conference nerves" when you've had them as long as you can remember (I wasn't the best student... school conferences we're never my favorite thing in life). I brought Peyton with me and as we waited for our time slot in the hallway, we talked about her first day of school. How she felt "a little bit nervous, mom", wondered if she would ever remember her teacher's or friend's names, didn't know if she would ever learn to read... and we talked about how far she has already come! She knows and loves her teachers, she has a whole lunch table of friends, and she's becoming a more and more confident reader every day! She walked me down the hall of her school and showed me her artwork, the lost and found, where she kept her slippers and hat and gloves... she was so happy and proud and it eased my nerves a little bit as I remembered how much I love her school.

When it was our turn, Peyton colored in the hall as I walked into her classroom. Her three teachers welcomed me and we sat around a child-sized table on child-sized chairs surrounded by the organized beauty of Montessori learning stations. I took out my notebook, and with butterflies in my stomach from all my memories of my own school conferences, prepared myself for a list of what I was doing wrong. See, Peyton is at school only three days a week, while we homeschool her two days a week. There is a learning curve to the homeschooling parent when they are teaching in this hybrid week, and I knew I had some things to improve on at home.

The sweetly affirmed the learning curve, gave me some tips on what to focus on at home, and then Miss Susan's eyes lit up as she went to get Peyton's Bible Verse journal. She flipped through the colorful, detailed pictures that Peyton had drawn above carefully copied verses of truth and my face started to get hot. It took all I had to not break down into a puddle of tears as she told me how impressed she was in Peyton's understanding of Biblical truth concepts. She showed me examples of how Peyton's drawings showed a level of understanding that could only be explained by the Holy Spirit, and how she loves to share these truths with her teachers and classmates. I was speechless not because I didn't have words, but because I knew if I opened my mouth to speak that I would start ugly crying all my pent up school conference PTSD, and proud momma tears and they wouldn't stop. And the teachers would think I'm emotionally unstable. Which is entirely true haha.

The drive home was basically me breaking down every 5 seconds telling Peyton how proud I am of her, and thanking God that we get to send her to this school. My biggest prayer for her is that whatever she learns at school will only help her live the adventurous life that God has for her. So, when the school that I've been wanting to send her to for three years has the same passion and goal for my daughter, I can't help but get super emotional and thank God times a million.

I talk about it a lot, but God put this school on my heart long before it was possible for us to even think of sending our kids there. We were struggling to buy groceries and knew that school tuition was completely out of the question... but God had a plan. Four years ago, I never would have imagined that we would be able to afford private education through a business I work from my phone in an hour a day... but that was God's plan, and I'm so thankful He lead us here how He did! He ALWAYS has a plan to give us the desires of our heart when we delight in Him! We only have to trust, wait, work, and pray!

What are the desires of your heart? Do you believe that God is able to do what you think is impossible? Are you working toward your goals knowing that God has a plan for your best? Never discount what God will do with your faith! He totally changed our life through one step of faith 15 months ago when I started an in-home business to make $500/month to pay for groceries and he turned it into over $2,000/month to pay for a school that is an answer to YEARS of prayers!

He is ABLE!!! What are you trusting him for today?