Last First Day? Nah, Endless First Days.

Last First Day? Nah, Endless First Days. Lamentations 3:22-23

I have watched many friends share their children’s first days at school on social media the past few weeks. It’s so heart warming. A few (Amy Beth and Melva) have made me pause in empathy as I know the feelings of letting your kid walk out into the big mysterious world alone.

We experienced our own first day morning a few weeks ago with our youngest child. For Sydney, this was her last first day as she starts her senior year at The University of Oklahoma. As a family, this is also the last first day we will have since she is our youngest child. Turn the page. You would think we would have felt more nostalgia. But we didn’t. For us it was a quiet prideful send off because it marks the beginning of a conclusion of a successful college experience. The future is bright and unknown. Syd should really wear shades. For me, this last first day was a calm assurance that something new and big is starting soon and former things can really be put behind.  It is also a calm assurance that Sonja and I had poured into our kids as best we could to launch them into the big mysterious world - and never alone.

In Leviticus we are told “The faithful love of the LORD never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.” Wow, each morning we can start new with God. Each new beginning, each first day, is a chance to put everything behind us and hit it hard and hit it pure with God. After all His mercies never cease.

Today, this Monday, I’m going to make it my first day with Christ. I don’t really need to. But I will anyway. Join me? Boomer Sooner!