Second grade is killing me!!!

Aaaaahhhhh!  Second grade is killing me!!  We're only 20 days in.  Okay, okay.  We're only 20 days in.  But suddenly my sweet little baby has 2 teachers, 3 subjects of homework, quizzes and actual grades!  Where did first grade go?  Can we go back there?  I liked first grade.  It seemed so manageable, so friendly.  Look at this face.  Who could want to make life hard for this face?!

It's not like I didn't see this coming.  I have memories of second grade myself, which I actually attended at the same school Michael is in right now.  I know what it's like to start something new, something challenging.  And while I walk him to school in the morning and tuck him into bed at night saying wonderfully supportive and encouraging things in my head I'm all like, "Aaaaaaahhhhhhhh!  We're going to fail 2nd grade!" 

And now deep breaths. 

Of course we're not going to fail 2nd grade.  Our school is wonderful.  Our teachers are wonderful.  Michael is wonderful.  But don't you sometimes just feel so inadequate?  Like you are suddenly totally unprepared for what's in front of you?  It's not just about kids either.  It's the illness you didn't see coming, the family drama tearing you apart, the change in circumstances, relationships and jobs. 

Life is freakin' hard sometimes.

We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed.
Perplexed, but not in despair.
Persecuted, but not abandoned.
Struck down, but not destroyed.  II Cor 4:8-9

When Paul wrote this he spoke of the believer as having "treasure in jars of clay".  That is, the love and power of God within us not because of anything we did, but because of who God is.  We are only vessels, fragile and breakable, like a jar made of clay.  It's what God has put inside of us that makes us worthy, that makes us strong.  That allows us to endure.

For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.  So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.  For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.  II Cor 4:8-9, 1-18

We are but jars of clay and what we are up against, be it 2nd grade or anything else, could easily shatter us. 

But. It. Won't.

For what God has in store for us is far outweighs it all. 

I love you, sweet Michael.  I'm going to have a glass of wine now, darling, and a good night's sleep and you and me and Jesus....we're gonna tackle this 2nd grade thing tomorrow.  I promise.

XOXO.....Kelly