By Jennifer Brase

As school begins and the long days of Summer fade into the first days of Fall, I am reminded of how fast our children grow up. In fact, this week I sent my own son off to college. It is a bittersweet time; on one hand I know he is ready to leave the nest confident that he has become a responsible, godly young man. On the other hand, I am grieving the loss of the presence that he has had in our home for 18 years. Even though I have done college counseling for years and guided many students through this process, this time it is my own son, which made me understand on a personal level, all the complex feelings parents have regarding the whole college process.

When parents worry about college, they are really worrying about whether they have done enough as a parent to equip their child to succeed. Did I teach them to work hard? Do they know how to make good decisions? Are they equipped to handle conflict? These are the questions that are wrapped up in every child’s college search. I can tell you that regardless of how well you think you’ve done or not done as a parent, God is sovereign and He makes up for the things that we lack in parenting¬–including where they will go to college. As much as we think we have equipped our kids, God will ultimately guide our children to where He wants them to be to continue to develop them more fully into His image. This should bring us comfort knowing that the Lord is making up for all our parenting inadequacies.

As you send your child off to school this year, turn your worries into prayers for their future knowing that the Lord will honor those prayers. And one day soon, you will be dropping off your son or daughter at college knowing that they are right where God wants them.