My family has just gone through one of those important milestones in life. My wife and I took our first born and dropped him off at college last week. To nobody’s surprise, my mind and emotions have been engaged in a gymnastics tournament throughout the whole process.
To begin with, we are absolutely thrilled with the college that he chose and the experiences that we have had there. This school has rejected the traditional notion of parents dropping off their freshmen student and leaving. They have developed a 2 day program where the parents are walked through the process of what they will be teaching the students, what types of ministries are available, what service opportunities the students will have and what school services are available. Every step of the way we had faculty and administration officials – up to and including the President of the University – thanking us for entrusting our son to them. There wasn’t a single one of these people who projected insincerity in any form.
The temptation is obviously to look at this like we’re the first parents who have ever experienced this type of event. Whether it is sending a child off to college, off to the military or off into the work world, however, it is an experience that virtually every parent goes through in one form or another. It is exciting. It causes anxiety. It brings us great pride in our son. It even causes a certain level of mild fear.
As I contemplated all of this over the weekend, I tried to bring some perspective to my thoughts and feelings. It so happens that my business partner down in California helped in this regard.
His wife is about to give birth to their second child. The already have a lovely 3 year old girl, and it appears number two is to be a boy. They are understandably excited about the prospect. In around 15 years, they will undergo a similar experience to what my wife and I are currently walking. Around 3 years later, the young man about to be born will then take his turn. My partner and his wife have the same excitement, anxiety, pride and fear to look forward to.
I then started thinking about the faculty and administration of the college thanking us for putting our trust in them to help continue the education of our son, how they were honored by our trust. I thought back to his birth and the first time I held him in my arms, and I realized that there are more similarities to these events than I originally thought.
Quite simply, when our son was born the Lord placed him into our hands to allow us to raise him and educate him. I didn’t express it at that point, but I am so very thankful that He entrusted this young man to us. We were deeply honored to have been allowed to raise him and educate him to this point. The important thing for us to remember, however, is that he belongs to God. Always has, always will. Our Father entrusted him to us for a season, but that season has now changed and it is time for the next.
The final piece of the 2 day event was the Convocation. It was held in the school Pavilion (gymnasium), and began with a set of bagpipes escorting in all of the faculty of the school, dressed in full academic regalia. After prayer, a message on Communitas and the singing of a hymn (Be Thou My Vision), the faculty formed a circle around the perimeter of the gym. The new students were then invited to come down out of the bleachers and enter the circle where they were welcomed by the faculty. It was a physical symbol of our son leaving our home and joining the new community of the University. Very poignant. I’ll admit that my sunglasses snapped onto my face as we left the building to hide my tears!
So yes, the occasion has affected me deeply. I take comfort, however, in the thought that we have now entrusted our charge back into God’s hands. He never really left.
