Do you know anyone who is sending a precious baby off to Kindergarten this year? Maybe it’s you and your baby. Whether it’s the first or last child in the family, sending a little one to kindergarten is a huge and somewhat fearful experience. It’s been 6 and 7 years since my babies started going to school, but I well remember those thoughts and feelings of that first kindergarten year.
The Lord gave me a gift the summer before Nathan started school. God had called us to place our children in public school. I thought for sure that I would homeschool, but that was not God’s plan for my family. Even though we knew God called us to public school, my heart was still heavy with concern over “letting go.”
One day I was studying in Exodus and came upon the passage about baby Moses and his mother. Through that passage, The Lord brought me great rest and peace about what He had called us to do.
If God has called you to send your baby to school this year, I pray that He’ll use His Words to guide you in your prayers for your child, and bring you peace as you trust Him in your obedience. This is what He gave to me so many years ago – and it’s still a comforting truth for me as each school year begins.
and the Public School System
Exodus 2:2-10 (God’s Words are in bold, my prayer response is in italics.)
2) And the women became pregnant and bore a son; and when she saw that he was exceedingly beautiful she hid him for three months.
She kept her child to herself because she saw the beauty in him, and knew that the “world” would neither see nor nurture her precious child.
“O Jesus, you know how much I love my children, and how I want the very best for them. They are beautiful not only to me, but also to You. You have blessed me beyond my ability to describe when you allowed me to stay at home and “hide” my children these early years of their lives. Thank you, Jesus.”
3) And when she could no longer hide him
In other words, it was time for him to go to Kindergarten… (or middle school, high school, or college…)
“Lord, the time to put ‘faith into action’ is at hand. You have called my family to public school, and we can no longer ‘hide’ from it. Just less than two more weeks…Help us, dear Jesus, to trust You.”
she took for him an ark or basket made of bulrushes or papyrus,
She built a basket of protection for him with great care.
“Jesus, you have led me to build that basket every day as I love and invest in my children. Thank You that You have helped me build this basket with Scripture prayers for them, time, patience, play, laughter, Godly teachings, acceptance, and joy in my children. Because of You, my son’s basket is almost ready. Thank you!”
making it watertight by daubing it with bitumen and pitch
She made the basket “watertight” where no outside element could easily harm him.
“O Jesus, because of Your love and training of me, You have graciously allowed me to train and love and build healthy self esteem, based on the teachings of Your Word, in my children. Please help them to be ‘watertight’ and ‘insulated’ from the worldly influences trying to seep into their hearts and lives. Please call them to know you at an early age and to be ‘sealed’ by the redemption of Your blood.”
Then she put the child in it
With her heart wrenching, she placed her son in the basket, making him secure in the surroundings she had built for him, trusting that she had done all she could for him.
“Jesus, you know how my heart wrenches when I realize that now is the time to place my son in this basket we have built together. Please help me to believe – I mean REALLY BELIEVE- Your Word that promises You will “never leave, nor forsake” my baby. I am placing him in the basket with You, and covering him with a blanket of prayer.”
and laid it among the rushes (reeds) by the brink of the
The reeds: Webster defines “reeds” as the grass stems growing at the edge of the river, and/or “a person or thing too weak to rely on; one easily swayed or overcome.” She placed her cherished child in the midst of, at best, a weak support system.
The brink: The beginning – in my case, Kindergarten. (now, it’s middle school)
The river: The public school system influenced heavily by the currents of the “world”.
“I lay my precious child at your feet, surrounded by the ‘reeds, brink, and river’. Thank You that You are going with him, before him, behind him, between him, and through him in this new era of his life. Thank You for the deep peace, joy, and great expectations that this knowledge brings to my wrenching heart!”
4) And his sister stood some distance away to learn what would be done to him.
“Lord, please give me ‘sisters’ in You to watch out for and over my children in every one of their schools.”
5) Now the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, and her maidens walked along the bank;
Pharoah’s daughter and maidens: The teachers and assistants at the school.
she saw the ark among the rushes and sent her maid to fetch it.
She saw the basket and rescued it.
“O Jesus, please help my children’s teachers to see the treasure-filled baskets we have placed in the river. Please help them to be drawn to those baskets, seek them out and rescue them.”
6) When she opened it, she saw the child; and behold, the baby cried. And she took pity on him and said, this is one of the Hebrew’s children!
“Jesus, help the teachers to really see our children, their personalities, their strengths, weaknesses and needs. Help them to hear the individual cries of our children, take sweet pity on them, and to realize how valuable they are to You, to us, and to Your work in this world.”
7) Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, Shall I go and call a nurse of the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?
8) Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, Go. And the girl went and called the child’s mother.
9) Then Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, Take this child away and nurse it for me, and I will give you your wages. So the woman took the child and nursed it.
The mother is given an unexpected opportunity to have additional influence on her child’s life.
“Lord Jesus, please help me to see and obediently take every additional opportunity You give me to ‘nurse’ my children. Jesus, please help me with my priorities. Please show me the way that I should go (Ex. 33:13), and help me to walk in it. Please help me not to get ‘side-tracked’ and miss the ‘best’ by being distracted with the ‘good’. Please help my focus to be off of me and onto You and Your best for our lives. Please help me to remember that time spent investing in my children’s lives is a ‘gift’ of great ‘wages’ or value”.
10) And the child grew,
“You know the plans You have for my children. Plans to prosper them and not harm them. Plans to give them a future and a hope. (Jer. 29:11) Jesus, I know now that my children will grow through this, and they will be O.K. They will be even better than “O.K.” – they will be victorious! (PTL!!!) They will have been where You instructed us to place them – insulated by us, and protected by Your hands upon their lives. It will all be for their good, and for Your glory (Rom. 8:28). For You and for the remembrance of Your Name – this is our heartfelt desire! (Isaiah 26:8)”
and she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter and he became her son.
“Jesus, I realize that a day will come when we will be asked to release our children to stronger ‘waters’ than elementary school. But when that day comes, Lord, I trust that You will help us to be ready. O Please help our children not to become ‘sons’ of the world, but of You.”
And she called him Moses, for she said, Because I drew him out of the water.
“Lord Jesus, please help our children’s lives to be significant for You, because of Your instructions to us to place them at this tender age into the ‘water’. Please help them to be known by Your name because YOU have drawn them out of the water and called them Your own. A men.”
God used Moses’ life in mighty ways, and did things through him that He did through no one else. I want God to use my children this way – their lives lived to His power and glory. Baby Moses, my children, public kindergarten, and God’s faithfulness ~ What a Trustworthy God we serve! 🙂
I’m praying for all of you who are sending children off to school this month.
“And the Lord said, My Presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest.” Exodus 33:13
“And when they had done everything according to the Law of the Lord…the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace (favor and spiritual blessing) of God was upon Him.” Luke 2:39-40
(This is dedicated to my sister, Rebecca, as she sends off her precious Hannah Grace to kindergarten this year. I love you both!)
Jennifer says
A friend of mine posted it on FB and I shared it with all my friends so I am sure we have been “re-posting” it for you! 🙂 Thanks for letting God use you!!!
Jennifer says
I have three children, my oldest son is 16 and will be a junior in HS this year. My middle child, my daughter, is 14 and will be a freshman this year. My youngest son will be in 2nd. This was great for all of my kids but I’m having a hard time with my daughter starting HS this year so it really helped me with that. Thanks!!
SmellingCoffee says
Thank you, Jennifer, for sharing that this helped you. I was praying about re-posting it, and your comment came as God’s answer. My oldest will be a junior and youngest a sophomore – and I’ll be doing the same type of praying as college is right around the corner for us. May God bless you and your family this school year~
Jennifer
Susan Skitt says
Precious!!!
Anonymous says
Thanks for sharing from your life to encourage others. I will pass this along!
Stephanie Jernigan says
This was an insightful reminder for this kindergarten teacher to read. It helps me to remember what the heart of a kindergarten mama is feeling this week.
Anonymous says
Thanks for the wonderful word; what memories I have of that scripture.
Nancy in NC
tpaeltraney says
Thank you, once again, for such a poignant piece just for me. I send my 4th baby to kindergarten this week and I am so mixed about it. Your insightful words really touch my heart.
Tanya R.
Beth.. One Blessed Nana says
This brought back many memories of my own girls going to school and now my sweet grandbabies. This was just beautiful.