Today is the Awards Ceremony!

Genesis 16: 13

"You are the God who sees me"

Our youngest couldn’t go to sleep in anticipation of all the awards she expects to receive at the Awards ceremony at her school.  She is a hopeless optimist. 

Having had our oldest children walk across the stage for so many awards over their completion of high school and college graduation, I know what it is to be a “bursting with pride” parent.

For our youngest, academics are tough. 

I remember going to her awards ceremony in the 3^rd grade.  As I sat there in a public school, I felt such sadness.  Sadness that there would be many more ceremonies and she would not receive any awards.  How it breaks a moms heart to see our children try really hard, yet not be “good enough.”

At that assembly I sat in my “river of reality,” God sat and watched too.  To my surprise (not His) I heard her name called.  Her name was called for a student who worked with diligence!

You would have thought I had just heard my child give the valedictorian speech at a prep school.  I jumped to my feet and took pictures with tears streaming down my face.

As my husband and I chatted with her before bed, we tried to encourage her.  Even if she doesn’t win an award, there is so much we are proud of her for.  She is good enough! 

The Lord will watch with us as deserving students are given awards.  It will be our job as parents to help her understand and accept that sometimes we don’t receive awards.  It will also be our job to model a happy attitude for the other students.

The gift of our daughter’s optimism will help the ceremony to have perspective.  I’m grateful the Lord will sit through the ceremony with us.  Over the years since that 3^rd grade assembly, I’ve learned I can trust the sovereign hand of the Lord and know that He sees me!  Whether she leaves as a certificate holder or not, we will leave bursting with pride to be her parents!